The Rebirth of Champions
by JustBFree
Summary: When Diana is forced to sacrifice for her gods, Clark must stand by her side.
1. Chapter 1

They were gone. Brainiac. Darkseid. Luthor. Clark took a deep breath, absorbing that his greatest, most dangerous enemies were dead. At least for the time being. In his time as Superman he had quickly shed his Kansas naiveté; perhaps Bruce's constant suspicion had rubbed off on him in the past few years.

If his enemies were ever to return, Clark would defeat them, whether alone or with the help of the entire League. But until then, he wanted to unwind and appreciate the things he'd neglected of late.

His apartment in Metropolis had probably been missing him; it was a simple space, his second apartment since moving to the city after college. The first had been rigged to explode by a charmingly crooked detective. He hadn't spent a full night in his place in nearly fifteen days- he missed being Clark Kent of the Daily Planet, just a man who helped his older neighbor with his garbage, a man who could spend at least part of his Saturdays watching basketball games on ESPN and a bachelor who had mastered the art of the TV dinner.

Clark could admit he missed being human.

The Kent farm. He'd been wanting to go back there for a long time. He and his family deserved a chance to reunite, even if Kara was no longer a part of their lives. It wouldn't be the same without her, but it would be enough. He missed his parents, he missed the fresh air and the animals. He missed the chores, the accomplishment he'd always felt at seeing the result of his work. The Kents had hired men to take over the daily tasks that Clark had always been able to finish before lunch.

Yes, he would go back home. He would also finish and submit his stories to the Daily Planet online while the iconic Metropolis building was still undergoing repairs. His final fight with Darkseid had caused more city damage than usual, but most officials are forgiving of the world's heroes, especially when said heroes fight against alien warlords.

It was the end of his shift; the world would be safe for one more day. The weight of the world, however, never left his conscience- the others looked up to him, depended on him both as a role model and a leader. He often wondered how his life would have been if he had remained Clark Kent and never taken on the mantle of Superman.

He knew that romancing fantasies of a simple life was not productive. It had been proven, time and again, that the world needed Superman- what good were the police against monsters, aliens and superpowered villains? It would be a coward who could help the world but chose not to for the convenience of anonymity.

Still, every once in a great while he had to wonder…

He stopped short just outside the door leading into his apartment, a place he felt like he hadn't seen in years. For a moment, he thought he heard something, but no.

Clark opened the door and blinked, surprised to find Diana inside, apparently waiting for him. His balcony doors were open, explaining how she'd slipped in. He smiled for a moment, but it slid from his face on seeing her grim, determined expression. He had not seen her since the war with Darkseid.

"Diana?"

The door to his apartment gently slid shut behind him, leaving them both in the darkness. He switched on a lone overhead light to be sure he hadn't been imagining things. No. Diana was still there, still silent.

Her eyes met his, though he could see that her mind was far away. "Diana?" He asked again.

She blinked, coming back to the present. "Oh, Clark."

"Are you all right? What are you doing in here?"

She shifted slightly on his sofa, her eyes dropping down to her lap. In a way, it was strange to see her out of her Themysciran armor. Sitting there before him in jeans and a simple top made her look bizarrely harmless.

"I…I was visited by Hermes."

Clark's eyes widened in surprise. "Hermes? _The_ Hermes? The Messenger of Olympus. What did he have to tell you?"

He felt like an idiot for asking- he knew that the last time Hermes had paid her a visit, Diana had been ordered into Tartarus. Messages from Hermes were rarely good news.

The woman stood up, straightened to her full height. "Aphrodite has fled from Ares."

Clark raised a dark brow at the news. "She left him?"

"Yes. For a time."

He frowned slightly. "Hermes came to tell you that?"

Diana's voice caught in her throat, she had to force the words. "You don't understand, Clark. I must take her place."


	2. Chapter 2

Clark sat with Diana on the edge of his sofa. The man was still reeling from the shock of her confession: that she had been ordered to take the place of Aphrodite, the consort of Ares.

He stood from the sofa and began to pace on legs that felt weak, almost too weak to support his weight. His pulse had sped up considerably; he felt a cold hand squeezing his heart. There had to be a mistake, a way for Diana to escape this…this…

"You can't go, Diana. We can send you away, hide you on New Genesis or maybe we can convince your gods of some other way-"

"There is no other way, Clark. I cannot hide from Olympus- such an affront would see me unmade, returned to clay. I didn't come here for your help out of this, I came to say goodbye."

The man shook his head, a great pain spreading through his chest. He moved before her, his voice earnest. "You can't mean that. This is insane, I won't let you go!"

Clark's words were smothered under Diana's lips. She kissed him with a shocking fierceness. Her kiss was deep, sensual, and wrong. Clark pulled away from her, confused, fixing his hands on her shoulders as she stood before him.

Of all they were to each other, Diana had never…

"Why did you do that?"

"I came for something else."

"What?"

Her face held no shame, only a resolve for her duty to her gods and a new vulnerability he'd rarely seen. "I am a virgin. I need you to end that for me."

Clark felt the earth tilt beneath his feet. "Why?"

Diana took a breath. "I will not let the God of War be the first to enjoy conquering my body. I'll give myself to you freely, I want you to take me so that he cannot."

Clark remained standing by some miracle. Diana was here with him, pleading that he take her virginity so that Ares couldn't- maybe the fight with Darkseid had knocked something loose in his brain, he had to be imagining it!

_How can she ask me to do this?_

"Diana, I-"

She didn't let him finish. The Amazon pressed forward, molding her body against his and kissed him again. He wanted to stop it, truly he did- he and Diana had only ever been friends and if things were meant to take a turn toward something deeper he knew that it shouldn't happen like this. Not with Diana afraid of what an evil god would take from her body, not when he was only a means to an end for her.

Her hand cupped his face; her fingers were trembling. Yes, she was afraid but she needed him. As a friend and for the first time, as a lover.

That was the point.

Clark responded to her kiss, unable to protest or push her away. He had admitted to himself upon meeting her, years ago now, that she was the most magnificent woman he'd ever seen, but to have her there in his arms, coaxing him to the bedroom…

Diana slipped her hands into his hair, keeping him as close as she could lest he try to stop her again. She had come this far, and though her heart swelled with a deep, longing pain, she knew that she had to be with Clark. He was the only one she could trust with something so precious.

Somehow, they reached his bedroom and Clark had divested her of her clothes just as she had removed the last of his suit. All at once, they were alone, together, naked and free.

* * *

It was hours later that Clark held Diana against his chest, absorbing her pain and her fear.

Warrior or not, he could sense she was afraid, her terror aimed at the duty handed to her from Olympus. How the gods could ask such a thing of their champion was far beyond him- forcing her to debase herself to the God of War…

"Are you all right?"

It was a pointless question; he knew the terror that had to be running through her mind.

Diana shifted slightly against him. "Yes. I'd been wondering about this since coming into Man's World, but I never thought I would experience it."

Clark nodded. He wanted to smile at what had passed between them, it had been very good, and new and tender, but the harsh reality of what was to follow kept his expression serious. "That goes for me too, in a way. I've never been able to let go completely, too afraid I'd hurt a woman. You're more than just a woman though, Diana. You're as strong as I am, and I've always appreciated that in you: your strength and commitment."

She looked up then, and smiled sadly. "Thank you. And thank you for tonight. I know it wasn't what you wanted, but thank you for this. Clark, I must go soon."

Diana tried to leave the bed, but Clark held on to her. He wasn't fooled for a moment; if Diana truly wanted to leave then there would have been precious little that he could have done to stop her. When he spoke his voice was quiet, low. "Diana, it's all right to be afraid."

Her eyes flashed. "I'm not afraid. It is my duty."

"Don't lie to me, Diana. Your gods…I don't have a word to describe them. What they're asking you to do is unthinkable."

He felt tears on his chest, and her body began to shudder against his. His hands moved to stroke her back, her hair. Her pain was his now. "I must do this, I have no choice. The last time that Aphrodite left Ares, he waged war on the Amazons. I cannot let that happen again. There are so few of us left- one must fall to save many. Our legends are tales of deep sacrifice, it's all I know. It's the only way."

She began to move away from him again. "Thank you for this, Clark."

He hesitated before asking, but truly he had to know. "Diana, why did you choose me?"

The woman took a deep breath. This was not a conversation she'd ever imagined she would have with a man, let alone a Superman. "I wanted someone gentle, so that when Ares takes me I will have a happy memory of a man." Diana blinked at her own words. "I didn't use you with the intent to hurt you, Clark. I just…needed you for tonight."

He put his arms around her, suddenly so scared for her. "When will you go?"

"I should go now. The gates of Tartarus will open soon and Ares will take me to his realm. I will at least be able to see my mother and sister Amazons again before it happens."

"I want to go with you." Clark said.

She shook her head. "You don't have to do that."

"Diana, please let me. This isn't something you should have to do alone. I'll go with you."

Whether from fear or acceptance, Diana relented. "Thank you, Clark. When it happens, I will need your courage."


	3. Chapter 3

"Farewell, my daughter. You are truly the bravest of us all."

The words of Hippolyta echoed through the vast cavern beneath Themyscira. Every Amazon had gathered to bid their princess farewell. Since Diana's birth, she had been their sister in every sense of the word- training, praying and celebrating right alongside them all. When she had left for Man's World, Hippolyta had not been the only Amazon to miss her.

Clark stood alone as the only man on their island; he was a stranger there, but Diana had allowed him to accompany her, he was welcome among the Amazons.

The great doors of Tartarus were thrown wide open, the eternal fires within were enough to warm the entire cavern but Clark felt a bitter chill in his chest.

Ares had stepped forward only moments before; he stood within the flames but did not step across the threshold of the doorway between the two worlds. The god had said nothing. Clark knew about his involvement in building the Annihilator armor, but he had never seen the Ares with his own eyes.

The God of War did not disappoint; Ares had a cruelly handsome face, oddly both rugged and refined. Slanted eyes the color of a tropical blue sky added a slightly exotic appeal to the god's expression, and his generous mouth quirked at the corner in a small, triumphant smile.

Clark wondered for a moment if the gods had a choice of what appearance their bodies could take, and if so, why would Ares have chosen the form of a handsome blond man? Wouldn't a raging bull have been more fitting? Or living fire or a warhorse? Why a human, why take the form of something Clark had sworn his life to protect?

He didn't want to protect Ares- if he had the power, Clark would have ripped the god apart.

Before the great gate, Diana embraced her mother and then strode toward Ares. Her stride was full of purpose; Clark knew she was terrified but she would never show it, not to Ares, not now.

Diana looked back at Clark one last time before disappearing into the flames of Tartarus.

The great gates swung shut. The cavern was cold once again.

* * *

Clark felt the earth shift under his feet, his knees almost buckled as his mind swam. Diana had sacrificed herself, walked straight into hell. She was as good as dead and he had only stood by and watched it happen.

_I let this happen! I could have stopped her, I could have…could have…_

He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Hippolyta.

The woman was a beauty, a fine-boned, elegant queen. No line marred her face but there was no question that she was the oldest of the Amazons; the truth of her experience crossed through her voice, her every word was a wealth of cool authority.

"Thank you for escorting Diana back to Themyscira, Superman. It comforts me to know that she has a friend in you." The queen's words were formal but her eyes held tears. One slid down her cheek and she hurriedly brushed it away.

He blinked at what she'd said, trying to focus even as a pain was expanding in his chest. "Why did this happen? This isn't right, she didn't have to do this-"

The queen raised a hand to his words. "The whims of the gods are fickle and not for us to question. If Diana survives this trial she will be granted a great reward."

Clark stood, shocked at what she'd said. "What reward could be worth all this?"

Hippolyta took a deep breath. The man was a stranger to her, true, but she knew her daughter trusted him and Diana was nothing if not a good judge of character. Superman was a great friend to all Amazons. She knew the man's feelings of anger, of frustration that he was helpless to protect Diana. She shared his feelings but her emotions were tenfold in strength; after all, he was Diana's friend, but _she_ was Diana's mother.

Watching Diana walk into the flames was torture, but Hippolyta was queen and had to remain in control for the sake of the remaining Amazons. They needed her strength to draw upon for themselves. Hippolyta would be free to cry when she was alone at night.

"It will be for the gods to decide. Come, Superman. You will stay on as the honored guest of our absent princess."

"Thank you, but I really should be-"

"I insist."

"Yes ma'am."


	4. Chapter 4

Clark ate alongside the Amazons- roasted boar, fresh bread, ripe glazed fruit- despite the succulent flavors that calmed his hunger, the meal was a somber affair; every bite of food was tinged with deep sadness. Even after the half-hearted prayers to the pantheon of gods, the great hall was mostly quiet.

The eyes of the Amazons occasionally strayed to Clark, mostly out of curiosity. Many of them had been brought into existence on the island and had lived their lives without laying eyes on a man before. Had it been any other day, they would have questioned him about his abilities, the outside world and what it was to be a man.

No voice questioned him; he was a guest of a hero that had made the ultimate sacrifice. He was tolerated, welcomed to an extent, and joined with them in their sorrow for the loss of Diana.

No one expressed any surprise when Hippolyta retired early for the night.

He wasn't fooled; he could hear the queen crying in her chambers through the walls of the palace. He wanted to cry himself but he was too on edge, his mind spinning with ways to save Diana.

Something had to be done, but what could he do that wouldn't endanger all the other women on the island? They were bound by the same blessings as Diana- if Clark did anything to affront the gods, they could all be killed.

_But I have to do something!_

Clark was too restless, too frustrated to sleep. He hadn't retired to his room yet but he knew himself, he'd be going stir crazy there so instead he followed a footpath through the forest to the beach. He could have flown but the walk was helpful in clearing his mind.

He'd only been to Diana's island once, and during that adventure there had been no time to absorb the natural beauty of Themyscira. The moon was low and full, casting the beach in a silver haze. The stars were out, and the sound of the waves would have been comforting if things were different, if Clark knew that his friend was safe.

He stood for a while, trying to clear his mind, but the sound of voices broke the trance of gentleness that the island had put on him.

Further down the beach was a group of young Amazons; he could hear them speaking about Diana, mourning their friend and laughing, desperately recalling better times. Diana had told him that the League had done the same thing when he'd been assumed dead and they had reconvened after his funeral.

The group of women was beginning to undress, intent for a naked night swim.

Out of respect, Clark headed back into the forest and toward the palace.

* * *

For one day and one night, Diana acted as the willing consort of Ares. Upon walking into the flames, Ares had her bracelets bound together, shackles to her strength- she was left with the physical prowess of a mortal woman, entirely helpless against a god.

The evil god took her, as she knew he would.

Diana fell onto the warrior training she'd received from her childhood, that of 'mind over matter', and as the body of the God of War invaded her own, her mind filled with the memory of her night with Clark. The pleasant memory enveloped her mind, acting as a shield against the demon's abuse.

She recalled Clark's teasing fingertips in place of Ares's claws, Clark's surprisingly passionate kiss in place of the painful bites from the demon.

Too often, the finer points of her Amazon heritage were looked over by her teammates; at first she had been seen as a beautiful, spoiled princess. Only after proving herself a near equal to Superman in strength had she been accepted by the men in the League. If only she had shared the deeper tactics she'd mastered from a young age; the rituals, the cultural tenants of expanding one's mind to expand one's very soul. True, her mind could not bore into another's the way that J'onn could, but Diana's greatest weapon resided within herself.

Upon learning of her mission from Hermes, Diana had known that her mental withdrawal would be her only hope of surviving Ares; she withdrew deep, deep into her mind. It was there that she relived her night with Clark, recounted innocent times spent on the island, her excursions in Man's World, her confusion and amusement at the new cultures she had encountered since agreeing to join the League.

_I will submit to you, Ares, only as I have been ordered- you have taken my body but you were not the first and you will never have my soul!_

Then, a light, the sudden booming voices of the gods...

Diana willed her awareness to rise, but with it came the pain of her shattered body; she opened her eyes only to shut them a moment later. The light of the celestial beings was painful, her vision was broken.

Three figures- one black, one red, one a blinding white- were standing over her, watching her writhe in pain.

"You see what horror your lovers' spat has caused? Hippolyta's daughter, used as part of Ares's pathetic revenge against your wandering eyes! I will _not_ have this in my realm- take Diana, Aphrodite, she must leave this place."

The next voice, a woman. "Unhand Diana, Ares. Had I known the cruel judgment Zeus handed down to her, I would have never left. I am a patron to this champion of the earth, and I release her from the bondage of her debt to Tartarus."

* * *

It was after a restless night that Clark found himself walking down the footpaths in the forest again the next day. He had no wish to go back to either the WatchTower or Metropolis; he wanted to stay on Themyscira, it was peaceful and beautiful. Briefly, he wondered if the island's magic was drawing him in, but he didn't care if it was. His friend was gone, his lover of just one night. Wasn't Superman allowed a time to grieve, to escape from the outside world? He would stay on as long as Hippolyta allowed him.

He'd gone to the beach and had a swim, rode Diana's horse and indulged a few younger Amazons and showed them his powers- for whatever reason, they had been amazed at his ability to freeze a cup of water with his breath. They were younger, innocent to the bitterness against men that had come to infect several of the other Amazons. To them, he was an interesting creature with abilities beyond anything they had seen. Not that Clark wasn't flattered by their excitement, but he was still hurt by Diana's disappearance from the world.

The heavy sorrow still weighed on him, twisting his insides with the knowledge that there was nothing he could do to save her.

It was on his walk back toward the palace when Clark first noticed it, the flurry of activity. He paused, watching as several of the palace guards rushed toward a lone Amazon, which gave cause for several more to join the chatter.

"We must see the queen at once!"

"Queen Hippolyta gave the order that she was not to be disturbed-"

"The gates of Tartarus have opened once more, our queen must be present!"

Clark didn't wait for the Amazons to organize, he lifted into the sky and headed for Tartarus; he didn't know what he'd find, he only knew he had to be there.


	5. Chapter 5

The gates of Tartarus were already open by the time Clark had flown down the corridor that lead to the great cavern beneath the island. The bright fires of the realm painted the cavern in flickering shadows; faintly, he could hear the screams of the souls being tortured within. The scent of putrid, rotting flesh hung heavy on the air. His stomach had nearly turned once he'd descended, but he supressed the urge.

He flew in low and fast, then landed just before the threshold of the great gate. Clark glanced over his shoulder to see the Amazons headed toward him. They were moving in fast, running toward the gate. Hippolyta was leading the women through the great graveyard of wars long past, but they would not make it to the gate on time. Clark turned back toward the wall of flames. Already there was movement beyond the flames.

Amazed, Clark watched as a bright white figure emerged, carrying a badly beaten Diana.

Whatever it was that held her, it appeared to be female though if pressed Clark might describe it as looking much like a ghost- a pale mist only vaguely taking the shape of a woman. "What are you?" He asked it. He tried to ignore the small tremor in his voice; for all his strength, he was easily weakened by magic and didn't relish the idea of being blasted by this strange, mystical creature.

The white mist turned in his direction, floating down until it was on level with his eyes. When it spoke, the voice was beautiful and powerful, a voice of the ancients. "I am Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, patron to the Amazon princess. Take her, Clark Kent, allow her the earth for healing. Be warned, Diana must not remain on Themyscira. Olympus has not granted her reprieve from exile. Only in rebirth can she return."

Clark took Diana, horrified. The woman was unconscious. Her face was bloodied, bruised. Her lips were split, one eye was swollen shut. Her tiara was gone. Her armor shattered, her costume shredded. So much of her body was exposed; it was obvious what hell Ares had put Diana through, but Clark pushed those thoughts from his mind. The only thing that mattered was that Diana was out of Tartarus.

He took great care in draping his cape over her body, Clark didn't want her mother to see her in such a state. Just in holding her he could feel broken bones under her skin, her blood was seeping between his fingers. A rare anger came forward, escaping his mouth. He glared at the creature of mist, this _thing_ that called itself a goddess. "Diana was told to take your place with Ares- how could you let this happen to her?! She _prays_ to you!"

Aphrodite was not moved by his words. "We are of Olympus, and this world is ours to create, destroy and control. Do not question us for you will receive no answer."

Clark glared at the retreating goddess, so full of nonsensical reasoning. Aphrodite reminded him of Mxyzptlk- all deadly nonsense from a place of power.

The glowing figure slipped into the flames and by their own accord, the great gates closed in on themselves, leaving the great cavern just as cold and dark as nature intended. Clark held Diana, unsure what to do now. He was afraid to move, he couldn't hurt her anymore than she already was. He heard the Amazons rush toward him, and closed his eyes. He cursed his heightened sense of hearing, he could hear every gasp and cry of shock from Diana's sisters once they saw her ruined face.

"Oh, Zeus, how could you?"

"Sister, no, no, it should have been me!"

"Ares, you coward, come forth and I'll tear you apart!"

Hippolyta rushed to Clark, her eyes bright with tears at the sight of her daughter. She had never been there to see the aftermath of League battles; Hippolyta had never seen her baby so hurt before and never had she felt so weak, so small and helpless as she did on that day. She grazed her fingertips over Diana's hair, offering a world of comfort in the smallest of touch. When she pulled her hand back, her fingers were stained with her daughter's blood.

Her eyes filled with tears as her stomach dropped with dread. She looked up, meeting Clark's eyes. "My daughter…Superman, you must take her…"

"What?"

Hippolyta swallowed her pain, her anger. "Diana cannot stay here. She must remain in exile, curse the gods! My Diana is banished from home; I cannot care for her myself." Her eyes flashed to Clark's. "I have no choice but to leave her in your care, Superman. You must take her."

The queen's heart was breaking, Clark could hear it in her words, but there was a force building in her, something beyond anger. Hippolyta cupped poor Diana's cheek, traced a large bruise on her daughter's face. "My baby…Superman, you must go now. You must."

Wordlessly, Clark rose into the air, flying over hundreds of crying Amazons, keeping Diana close.

He wanted to leave Diana to her mother but he remembered Aphrodite's words. He couldn't let her stay on Themyscira, and he couldn't take her to the WatchTower. Diana had been forged with the gifts of the gods, and so she needed the earth to heal herself.

There weren't many places he could think to take her, but there was one place which had always been the very heart of comfort to him.


	6. Chapter 6

She watched it with a patience born of long experience and a passion for the art. Soon, the dough would turn a golden brown and be filled with rich chocolate mousse, topped with a cool layer of whipped cream, then dusted with crushed almonds and cinnamon. A bright cherry resting in the center would complete the picture.

Yes, she, Martha Kent, would claim her crown in the Kansas City Pie Contest.

She had won several times in the past, her blue ribbons hung in a smart frame on the living room wall. The fifth ribbon, highly anticipated, would join the others if all went as planned.

"Ma? Is anyone home?"

Startled by the sudden voice of her son, Martha left the pie crust to burn in the oven. Quickly, she moved to the front of the house. She saw that the front door stood wide open, and that Clark had already moved farther into the living room.

"Clark, what on earth-?"

Clark turned, his expression deeply worried. Martha could see that her son was afraid, perhaps for the first time in his life. He moved forward, his hands were bloody and trembling. "Ma, I'm sorry to just drop in like this. I need your help."

"Don't be sorry, you know that you're always welcome home. What on earth is the matter?"

He took a deep breath and seemed lost for a moment. It was a long story, how could he even begin to explain…?

"Ma, she's been hurt and needs help. I'm sorry, but after Hamilton I couldn't risk bringing her to another doctor and-"

"What? Who's hurt-?"

Clark brought his mother farther into the living room, to the sofa where he'd laid Diana. Martha brought her hands to her mouth at the horror that greeted her eyes: the woman lay, bruised, broken, bleeding. What she recognized as the remains of the armor of Wonder Woman was shattered.

In a show of modesty, Clark had put his cape over Diana where her costume had been ripped apart by greedy, vengeful hands.

Suddenly a pie contest seemed a very small thing to worry about.

* * *

After several hours of tending to Diana, Martha made her way downstairs to see her son and husband pacing in the living room. "I've got her squared away upstairs, she's resting now." She announced.

In the blink of an eye, Clark was before his mother. "Did she wake up? Did she say anything?"

John had watched as his son paced and fidgeted for the past several hours, from the early afternoon on into the evening, as Martha tended to Diana. John considered himself a simple man, easy-going and open-minded. He knew his son had been on adventures that took him to outer space, to other planets. Clark had dealt with magic, evil robots and crazed villains. That being said, even John had a hard time accepting his son's story that Diana, Wonder Woman, had been beaten by an evil hell god after having to step in for the love goddess that usually kept him company.

Well.

Skepticism aside, John understood that his son was upset for his friend upstairs, and it was unspoken that Diana would stay with them for as long as it took for her to heal. He could understand his son's fear and frustration at being made helpless. No man liked to stand by while a woman was hurt, and no doubt it was eating Superman alive. He felt for his son, but what could he do?

John stood up as well, concerned for this woman.

Martha put her hands up to calm her son. "I did what I could, but why didn't you take her to a doctor?"

Clark shook his head. "After that debacle with Kara being cloned, the League isn't taking any chances. But how is she?"

"Like I said, Clark, I did the best that I could, but she needed a little of everything: stitches, ice packs, heat pads, I had to relocate both of her shoulders and put a few bones in splints. That girl has seen a hell of a day." Martha deliberately left out the other, more intimate injuries Diana had suffered.

Clark nodded. "Did she say anything?"

"Not really. If she did, I couldn't make it out- her lips are pretty swollen, Clark. She's all right for now, though. This will take time, she's not going anywhere and neither are you." His mother guided him to a chair. "Your friend is in good hands, I promise you that. Now, until she's back on her feet, you'll stay here. We haven't seen you in a coon's age. We need to catch up, but first, why don't you tell us how this all happened?"

Clark took a deep breath. It would be a long night.

* * *

After listening to Clark's story, his parents had only looked at each other, nodded, and assured him that Diana could stay with them for as long as it took for her to heal. It was the least they could do, they had said, after all Wonder Woman had done for the world. His parents had then gone to bed, leaving Clark to wander the farm. He'd stepped outside for air, feeling claustrophobic. He didn't want to fly, it would take him too far away from the house. Clark walked from the house to the barn, then through a cornfield. He stole an apple from the orchard but found he was too tense to eat it.

He heard something. Just the faintest sigh, but it had come from Diana.

A moment later, Clark was standing outside the door to his old bedroom. Under his mother's direction, Clark had carried Diana upstairs and put her down on his boyhood bed. She lay there now. He stood in the hallway, feeling his stomach twist with anxiety. A woman he'd privately thought of as his best friend, a woman he'd made love to only days before was just inside, trying to heal from the onslaught of a god.

He swallowed and pushed his fears aside. Clark stepped inside.

There she was.

Diana was a pale face resting on a pillow, her body concealed under the green plaid comforter he'd had since high school. Clark felt his throat constrict at the sight of her. So pale, so defeated. This woman was small, fragile. Words Clark would never have associated with Diana as he'd known her. He blinked away the salty sting of sudden tears, and cleared his throat.

Diana didn't move. He didn't think she was aware enough to know he was there in the room with her.

His mother had brought a chair up to the room so she could work on Diana, and Clark took the chair for himself. He couldn't help himself, he was too curious. He lifted the blanket and dropped it a moment later, his heart dropping with pain. She was naked beneath the covers, her body a patchwork of deep purple bruises, stitched gashes and bandaged wounds. Clark sat back and stifled his own cries of anguish- his Diana was destroyed!

It took Clark a full hour to calm himself down. He reached to her, brushing her cheek with the backs of his fingers.

"Diana, I promise that I'll protect you, this will never happen again. You'll be safe here with me."


	7. Chapter 7

Outside, Topper crowed with the rising sun.

Martha and John woke easily after decades of habit. After so many years of waking with the dawn, they thought it would be impossible for them to ever sleep in late. Martha turned to her husband. "Did last night really happen?"

"I'm afraid so."

"I was hoping you'd look at me and just say I was dreaming. God, John, it's never been this close before. Clark's other life, I mean. It could have been him. Instead it was that woman- is she was normal I would have said she wouldn't last the night, but...well, she's supposed to be Wonder Woman, isn't she? I didn't see a hero last night. All I could see was a woman who'd been through hell. And that's true, in this case. Can you imagine?"

John brought Martha in for a warm hug. When they had been married, he'd promised to take care of her in every way; he'd been just a boy then, and had had no idea of the things they would face after bringing Clark home as their son. It wasn't fair, but it was the life they lead.

"Honestly, I've been trying not to. She'll be Wonder Woman again soon, Martha. Didn't Clark say she was as strong as he is? Hell, she might be healed by now, or at least improved."

Martha moved off the bed and slipped into her robe. She intended to check on Diana. "I pray you're right, John. I'm afraid of what might happen if Clark loses his friend."

The older woman wasted no time in heading toward Clark's old bedroom. She stepped inside and wasn't terribly shocked to find Clark asleep in the chair she'd brought in earlier. His mother put a gentle hand on his shoulder and Clark opened his eyes, fully alert. Martha put a finger to her lips to signal his silence, then moved to the other side of the bed. Carefully, she lifted the cover, making sure it acted as a shield to Clark's eyes.

Of course there wasn't any lead in the covers, so for all she knew Clark may have been looking on Diana's naked body, but she hoped she had raised Clark better than that.

Diana's bruises were maybe just a little lighter, but Martha couldn't be sure whether or not any real healing had taken place. She looked up to Clark and motioned for them to leave the room. They went downstairs and he followed his mother to the kitchen. Martha set the coffeepot to start the morning brew.

"Does she look any better to you?"

Martha frowned. "I should ask you the same thing. Can't you look inside her and seen if the bones are starting to knit back together?"

Clark speared frustrated fingers through his hair. He looked just as worried as he had been the night before. "I can't see into her. Diana's not...I tried looking into her once, years ago. When I try looking into her, I can't see a skeleton or any organs. I just see light."

"Light?"

"She was made by her gods, maybe the light I saw was her soul or the magic that made her, I don't know. She's unique to the world. I don't know how she'll heal from what happened."

Martha poured Clark a cup of strong black coffee, knowing it would do no good. "Does her light look the same now?"

"No. It looks dimmer."

* * *

The day wore on, uneventful for the Kents and the hired men as Clark had hogged all of the chores of the farm to himself. John understood that the boy needed a task to focus on, but Clark had almost bit his head off when he'd tried to change the oil in his own truck.

John raised his eyebrows to Martha as he stepped back inside the house. "That boy is on a tear today."

"Can you blame him? The whole world on his shoulders already and now this. It's not fair, John. After everything, hasn't he earned the right to some peace of mind?"

The man glanced outside to see Clark storming toward the barn, anger and tension in his stance. "He's earned the right to never lift another finger, but he'll never have the chance to rest. He took on the role of Superman, we can't be surprised that the world started to need him every second of the day."

"I liked it better when he was just a boy, we never had to worry about him."

John smiled and watched as Martha made her way through the kitchen, assembling sandwiches for the family. He loved this woman. She had been his high school sweetheart and they had stayed a couple through years of college. She'd been with him when he'd made his plans for the farm, every step of the way. He sighed slightly. "What do you mean 'we'? The way I remember it, we were always just a little on edge as he was coming up- afraid he might grow a third eye or something that would reveal what he was."

Martha laughed. "No, you know what I mean. When he started to attend Smallville High, the biggest threat was that some girl would break his heart."

"Yeah, I remember. Who could have know that he'd be doing the breaking?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't be coy, Martha. He's Superman, running around with all those lookers in the Justice League. Not to mention all the human women that are crazy for him. Hell, I think that Lois Lane of his has forgotten how to write about anything else."

Martha shook her head. "You're wrong, John. We raised him to be a good man."

"He's the best of men, but even good men can be ladies' men."

Again, the woman shook her head. "Oh, just eat your sandwich you old fool."

* * *

"I want to say I'm sorry for today."

John looked up to find Clark sitting on a crossbeam of the barn, maybe twenty feet above his head. John smiled. "Oh, Clark, that's all right. If it was me in your place I'd be snappy too."

Clark eased down to the ground to face his father. "It's no excuse to rip into you when all you did was ask me a question. Has ma checked on Diana yet?"

"Yes, she's checked on her every hour, clockwork. Your mother has done her best to help your friend, but we can't make her heal any faster."

Clark shifted his weight. "I know, but-"

"But nothing, Clark. This isn't your fault, and I know you've been in a mood all day because you blame yourself for what's happened. I know you too well for you to deny it, too, so don't bother. You have to give this thing time, all the time in the world if she needs it."

His father's words made sense but Clark couldn't let go of the blame that had taken hold of him, drowning him in regret. He took a deep breath and held it for a minute, then let it out slowly. He wanted to be calm, but as long as Diana was unresponsive, he couldn't shake off the anxiety.

"I'm...we're low on chicken feed. I'll go to town for some more."

John nodded. "That might be the best thing, son. Go to town, get some air. We'll call if there's any change."

* * *

In taking his father's advice, Clark found himself driving through the old downtown area, reliving past memories. Not everything was exactly as he remembered it, but thankfully the important things were the same. Old faces, neighbors and people he attended high school with recognized him and waved, friendly as they'd been on the day he left for Metropolis. He parked the truck and stepped out, adjusting his glasses and checking his appearance in the shining glass of the feed storefront.

The image reflected back at him was a tall man with dark hair neatly combed back from his face. The eyes were wide-set and blue, the jaw strong, the chin cleft. A pair of black-framed glasses rested on the blade of his nose. On his body, a pair of old Wrangler jeans, a striped shirt, gray and black, and over that a worn leather jacket.

He was the Clark Kent that Smallville remembered, and proud of it.

Clark stepped into the store and chose a large sack of feed, respectfully asking after the cashier's family. He recognized the girl as the younger sister of a girl he'd known in college. The young cashier was planning to study journalism when it was her turn to attend college, she wanted to be a reporter like him. "It's a great job, but it's tough. A smile will get you in more doors than a thousand keys." He'd told her. Clark hoped the girl could make use of his advice.

He slung the bag of feed into the cab of the truck, then stood for a minute, facing Main Street, a few blocks over.

John had told him to take a break from the house...would it be so wrong if he stepped in for a bite? They had promised to call if anything happened, and he would be there a moment later. Clark felt responsible for Diana. He didn't want to put that same burden on his parents, but the thought of going back to the farm just to pace in insane circles was too much.

He needed just a little time away to think, to clear his head.

"Now I know that can't be Clark Kent!"

The voice that rang out in greeting was warm and familiar. Grace Anderson waved to him from behind the counter at the Sunny Diner. She was a handful of years older than Clark, but just as stunning as he remembered her. A brunette with legs that went on for miles, she had been his first crush when he was twelve and she being his nineteen year old piano tutor.

"Hello Grace, how've you been?" He asked as he slid onto a barstool at the counter. She leaned over to wrap him in a warm hug. Clark smiled to himself. She still wore Spring perfume.

"I've been good, you know my son just left for college, following his father's lead and determined to make his way as an engineer. His sister's already married off to a doctor from Florida if you can believe it- but listen to me, going on and on. Tell me, what brings you back to town?"

Clark winked at her. "Your root beer floats, of course!"

"Coming right up, but don't think you can get out of telling me what you've been up to!"

Grace made quick work of his float, giving Clark enough time to check his cell phone for news of Diana. There wasn't any.

"Here you go, sugar, just like you like 'em."

Clark took a long sip of the float, feeling nostalgia wash over him. "Grace, you don't know how much I needed that today."

"Why? Everything all right at the farm?"

"Oh, yeah, it's fine." He said, recovering. "It's just, you know, been a long time since I came home and seen everyone. It gets to be a little overwhelming."

"Well, Clark, it's not the end of the world. Just take it slow, that's all."

Grace winked at him and turned her attention to the other customers that had to be served.

Clark sat, sipping his float. He let his mind wander to Diana, how he'd always thought of her as a close friend up until that night, only days ago. It startled him to realize that only days ago, Diana had come to him, asking him to take her virginity.

Superman had recieved some bizarre requests over the years, but Diana's took the cake.

He'd always thought her to be beautiful, he wasn't blind to the attractions she held. Her kindness and resolve in battle had also drawn him to her, but to have her come to him with her request, and in such a frank way, had been a shock.

Not as shocking, however, as how good it had been between them in his bed.

Clark hated himself for the urge to have her again, to fly with her into the sky and take her, possess her as only a man could. He clenched his fist, cursing himself for letting his depraved thoughts run in that direction. Diana was laying naked on his bed, torn apart by a demon and here he was, daydreaming about sex like a damn teenager!

He shook his head, abruptly ending the scenario he'd envisioned, and stood from the counter. He left a five dollar bill on the counter and waved goodbye to Grace.

On the walk back toward the truck, Clark's cell began to ring. "Yeah, ma?"

"Clark, it's Diana."

"What happened? Is she all right?" Already he was looking about for a place where he could lift himself into the sky without anyone seeing.

"That's just it, Clark. We're not sure."

"What do you mean?"

"Clark, Diana's gone."


	8. Chapter 8

John glanced out the window to see Clark land in the front yard, then charge toward the house. He tensed, expecting Clark to rip the front door off its hinges, but thankfully the boy took a litte care to step inside at a normal speed.

"She's dead?!" Clar demanded, feeling the ground tilt beneath his feet. The word was foreign, he'd never thought to apply it t Diana! She was an immortal Amazon, blessed by her gods to live a thousand lifetimes!

John shook his head. "No, not dead. Just gone."

"What?"

"Your mother went to check on her at the top of the hour, and Diana wasn't in the room. Wherever she's gone, she took your cape."

Clark stared at his father, unable to comprehend what he'd just heard. "What are you-? She can't have left on her own, she was too hurt-"

John shrugged on his jacket. "I know it's crazy, but that's what happened. Your mother is out checking the barn, I'll take the orchard. You have the field." John handed Clark a flashlight and then took one for himself. The sun was still out, but with as many places as there were for Diana to hide, they may be searching for hours.

Clark shook his head, his frustration mounting. "Where could she have gone with two broken legs?"

John put a hand over his son's shoulder. "Beats me, but she can't have gone too far. Don't worry, Clark. We'll find her."

* * *

Clark pocketed the flashlight and lifted into the air, his eyes scanning through the tall cornstalks that lined the acres of the Kent farm. His pulse was pounding through him, terrified at what me might find. How could Diana have left the house? Where could she have gone? Had she left of her own choice or had Ares taken her back?

_Stop assuming the worst- she may have been healing, and then woken up and flown out the window. She's fine, she's fine, she has to be!_

As Clark searched from the sky, John checked every divet and shrub in the orchard. He was just as confused as his son. That woman hadn't come conscious once since Clark had brought her in, and then all of a sudden she walks out of the house without anyone noticing? It didn't make any sense to him, but then this wasn't a normal woman they were dealing with, he had to remember that.

"Gaia...Gaia...Gaia..."

John paused, listening. He could hear someone, a woman, chanting. He didn't understand the words, but it hardly mattered. The sky above was darkening, he brought out his flashlight and followed the voice.

"Clark! Clark!"

Clark heard his father calling him and swung a strong arc in the sky, heading straight toward the commotion. He pushed down through the tree branches until his feet met the ground, then jogged toward where his father was standing.

John shined his flashlight on the still chanting Diana.

Clark raised his brows, surprised and confused at what he was seeing.

Diana was kneeling on the ground, her eyes closed tightly, her mind focused. She chanted the word "Gaia" again and again. Roots from the surrounding trees had risen out of the ground to twine over her arms and legs, joined by flowering vines twisting over her body.

The roots twisted tightly over her, breaking the skin in some places, enteringher body. Clark felt his stomach tighten at the sight of her. She was allowing this to happen, maybe her chanting had called the roots and vines to do this to her, but the sight of it was still enough to make Clark sick.

He shook his head at his father. Clark didn't want to disturb Diana's ritual. He thought they should let her finish whatever it was she was doing.

The men watched, slightly horrified, as the vines penetrated her wounds. Diana kept her eyes closed, still chanting even as it was clear she was in desperate pain. Tears seeped out from her closed lids, but still Clark made no move to stop her.

Eventually, the vines and roots loosened their hold, slipping out from under her skin, leaving her once-open wounds healed, Clark could see that the bruises on her breasts and thighs were greatly lightened.

Diana opened her eyes, breathing hard, her chanting ceased as the last of the roots returned to their places in the earth. Kneeling in the soil, Diana's mind needed a moment to recover from the exquisite pain she'd endured at calling the goddess of the earth into her body for healing. Her pain was greatly lessened, but she was exhausted. She couldn't think, her mind was empty after calling upon her strength of spirit.

Shaking her head, Diana looked up to see Clark and another man staring down at her. Clark moved down to kneel before her. Glancing back at his father, he took his cape up from the ground where she'd left it and draped it around her, shielding her trembling, naked body from the chilly night and the eyes of others. "Diana, are you all right? Talk to me, please."

Diana shook her head. "I called on Gaia to heal me. Where are we, and who is that man?" She was obviously confused, her speech was slow and too careful, as if each word was a great effort to convey her thoughts.

"You don't remember. It...Aphrodite brought you out of Tartarus and your mother had me take you away from Themyscira. We're at my parents' farm in Kansas."

Diana looked at the other man again. Recognition dawned on her. "John Kent. I remember him from your funeral."

Clark laughed, a little nervous. "Yeah, yeah. My funeral. Are you all right? I can carry you back to the house."

Diana flexed her muscles, testing her strength. Something was missing, a part of her had gone away, but in her condition she did not fully understand. There was something fundamentally wrong with her, she knew, but she needed rest before she could face what had happened to her.

Diana shook her had, drawing herself deeper into the draping folds of Clark's cape. "I think I can walk. I can't fly. It's too much. It's left me."

* * *

Together, the Kents and Diana sat in the living room of the house. John had started a fire and Clark had fetched Diana a pair of his old pajamas to wear. Martha shifted her weight on the sofa nervously; she was so used to being the only woman in the house that she felt a little out of sorts around another female. And with poor Diana acting the way she was..

While the Kents were seated on the sofa and in an armchair, Diana had climbed down to the floor like an animal and moved to sit before the fireplace. She was staring into the fire, the flames were dancing in her vacant eyes.

Clark had been watching her for a while, transfixed. He'd been terrified that she was dead only a short time ago, and now here she was, nearly healed and sitting on the floor of his living room. The pajamas she wore were from his high school years, just plain green flannel. Diana wore them beautifully, but Clark ignored those thoughts.

Martha cleared her throat, catching his attention. "I, um, Diana?"

Slowly, Diana turned to face the older woman. Her mind was still dull and struggling to stay connected; she was exhausted from calling on Gaia and the effort it had taken to block the attacks of Ares while she had been trapped in Tartarus.

She stared at Martha for several long seconds before the words occured to her. "Yes, Martha Kent?"

John and Clark shared a quick look of worry. This sluggish, disconnected Diana wasn't the woman he'd known for the past several years.

Martha smiled, approaching her next words as if she was dealing with a new child. "You've had a long day, very busy. Clark? Why don't you show Diana to her room? I think you could use the rest, honey."

Clark nodded and stood up, standing close to Diana as she rose from her place on the floor. She swayed on her feet for a moment, and Clark was there to steady her. He could feel his parents' eyes following them as he guided Diana up the stairs.

As they reached the top floor of the house, Clark guided Diana down the hallway toward his old room. The woman stared ahead, but paused and then looked up at him. Her gaze was glassy, disconnected from his own, but her hands lifted until her palms were flat on the planes of his chest. "Diana, what is it?"

"Your...your hand on my back."

Clark frowned, confused. He'd been guiding her down the hall, keeping his hand on the small of her back. "What about it?"

"It's been there before."

He swallowed, wondering how much of the past week she was able to remember. He knew he didn't want to talk about the night they shared in Metropolis or her time in Tartarus when she was in this condition. He didn't want to scare her or make her uncomfortable around him. She had to know she could trust in him. "Yes."

"I like it." Diana said. A small smile touched her lips, but was gone a moment later. She turned forward again and started down the hallway toward the bedroom. Clark followed her inside and watched as she climbed over the footboard and collapsed onto the mattress. A moment later, she was breathing deep, asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Clark started awake at the sound of Topper. The rooster performed that morning ritual with annoying clarity. He opened his eyes, irritated, sure that the bird's shrill voice could be heard from miles away. He looked across the room, where Diana was staring at her reflection in the full-length mirror affixed to his closet door.

She had lifted his pyjama shirt and was looking over a strange shadow that had formed on the side of her waist. Clark assumed it was a fading bruise.

He moved, curious. Diana caught his movement in the glass and immediately dropped the shirt to cover herself. "Oh, you're awake." She smiled, a little too cheerful.

Clark stood up, approached her tentatively. "Diana, are you all right? Do you remember me?"

"Of course I remember you. Clark Kent, Kal-El, Superman. Why do you ask?"

Clark shifted his weight, unsure how to answer. "Well, it was just that yesterday...you weren't really yourself."

Diana cleared her throat. "I am sorry that you saw me in that way. Calling on Gaia takes so much focus that we are robbed of our minds for a time. It had to be done, there was no other way I could heal."

"Then you remember everything else?"

She shook her head. "Not everything. How did I came to be free of Tartarus?"

Clark cleared his throat. He didn't want to upset her, but honesty had always been the basis of their relationship to each other. "Aphrodite came back and I guess Ares accepted her. She brought you back but said that you couldn't stay on Themyscira. Hippolyta asked me to take care of you."

Diana was quiet for a moment, accepting the truth. "Ah. I understand."

"Are you...all right? Can I get you anything?"

The woman sighed and sank down to the bed once more. The happy front she'd been putting on was too impossible to maintain. She couldn't lie to Clark any more. "I...there's something you need to know."

Clark moved to kneel before her. "What is it?"

"My gifts have been taken. Olympus must weigh my worth. As I wait, I will be mortal."

There were times when Diana spoke of her gods that her words could be a little ambiguous to him. He wondered if she had spoken this way to her sisters throughout her life on Themyscira. Clark had always been more direct. "You mean, you're a human now?"

Diana shook her head. "No. I am not a human, but I am without my abilities."

"Why?"

"Ares...he bound my bracelets to rob me of my strength so that I could not fight him when..." Diana paused, looking down at her bare arms. Her bracelets were gone, perhaps forever. A deep spear of shame stabbed through her chest. For a moment she had forgotten herself, but Diana recovered a moment later. She couldn't speak of that with Clark. Never.

She cleared her throat and began to explain, "Ares and Aphrodite. I believe that they have stolen my gifts to humble me. I realized it last night once Gaia had healed me. I will be as a mortal until my goddesses return my power."

Clark took her hands in his. "I'm sorry. I don't know what to say."

Diana had been brought into being by the blessings of her goddesses, and raised from birth with the knowledge that she was created as a guardian to her race. Of course, it was not her powers that made her a hero in Clark's eyes, but he knew the shock of human vulnerability. He'd been weakened with Kryptonite and red solar engery before, each encounter driving home just how fragile and limited the human condition was in comparison to his noraml strength.

"Please. I knew the risks when Hermes declared my duty to Zeus. All I can do is wait and pray. It will be...enlightening. I am still Diana, only not so wonderful anymore."

Diana tried for a smile, but it did not reach her eyes.

* * *

"So, she's been made mortal now, or, as close to mortal as she's ever been." Clark summed up to his parents.

John and Martha sat at the kitchen table, the pleasant scent of coffee swirling in the air. Diana took a sip from her cup, mulling over the bold, sweet flavor. She was not so upset; in a way, Diana looked forward to the opportunity to experience the world as a human woman. As she had accepted that her gifts were taken, be it forever more or for a short time, Diana realized that she had too many blessings to count. She was alive. The Amazons were still alive. The world still existed, waiting for her exploration.

Her strength was returning, such as it was. Even when robbed of her Olympic blessings, Diana was a woman in peak condition, perhaps stronger than some men and undoubtedly better trained in combat. She was still every bit an Amazon: her heritage could never be stripped away.

John shrugged and turned to Diana. "We're just happy that you're all right. You gave us a good scare yesterday."

"I am sorry for that, John Kent. It was instinct that drove me to leave your home, I could not call on Gaia unless connected to the earth." Diana assured him. She still felt guilty for having worried these kind people. All in all, she was shaping up to be a horrible guest.

"Oh, that's all right, honey. I'm sure you didn't mean it. And don't you worry about another thing. You'll stay here for as long as it takes for your gods to make up their minds." Martha cut in.

Now that Diana was awake, greatly healed and more lucid than she had been the night before, Martha was happy to have the woman in her home. It wasn't often that she was able to connect with a young woman, particularly one that was so obviously close to her son.

Diana glanced at Clark. "I...I appreciate your kindness, more than you could know. But I cannot impose upon you any more than I already have-"

"I insist."

"Yes, ma'am."

Clark smiled to himself at their exchange.

* * *

"Now, I'm a bit shorter than you dear, so I don't think I have anything that will fit. Can't have you wear Clark's old clothes the whole time you're here, now can we? We still have some of his clothes left behind from when he was in college. Graduated with the top of his class from Kansas State." Martha mentioned with a touch of pride. "The truck is already in town from yesterday, so either Clark or John can drop us off to shop."

Diana nodded respectfully to the older woman. "Thank you, Mrs. Kent. You are very kind."

Martha waved off the compliment. "Oh, it's no trouble. As many times as you've saved the world I don't think I have a right to deny you something to wear. You'll be needing a few pairs of jeans, blouses, maybe a dress. You've got the figure for it- oh, listen to me, trying to dress you up like a doll! Sorry about that. Oh! I almost forgot to tell you, don't worry about your costume- I'll have it stitched up in no time."

Diana didn't like the thought of this woman sewing her costume, especially as she may not have another occasion to wear it. "Please, I cannot intrude upon your hospitality any longer. I should-"

"Nonsense. You'll be back to flying around in no time, and what's a hero without their costume?"

"We are still ourselves. I don't have a secret identity in the way that Clark does. I am still Diana."

"Well, of course you are. You just won't be Wonder Woman for a while, that's all. If your gods have any sense at all then they'll give you back your powers. I'm sure they would, given what you've been through."

Diana tensed. "I don't know what you mean."

Marha turned to her, dead serious. "I think you do. Clark has told us about you, you know. I know you're not human, not really, anyway. I know you've been born and bred as a warrior and that you're a princess." To Martha, Diana was intensely interesting. So strange, so exotic.

She was happy to have another woman to spend time with, but some things had to be said between them. "You might see me and just see a simple farmer's wife, but I've seen things in my years and I know that look in your eyes. You might be a goddess made flesh, but I know the look of a proud woman who's had a choice taken from her and been hurt that way by a man. It's nothing to be ashamed of. It wasn't your fault." Martha studied Diana's face for a moment. "You're a lot like Clark, you know. You've had the world on your shoulders for so long that you don't know how to let anyone else take care of you."

Martha patted Diana's shoulder and moved past her to leave the room so that she could change her clothes.

"Mrs. Kent? If I am not granted back my powers, I will not see my mother again. But I want to thank you for being..."

Martha came back to her and asked, "You Amazons believe that all women are sisters, don't you?"

"Yes."

Martha hugged Diana tight. "Then I would like you think your mother would do the same if it was my daughter. Meet me downstairs."

* * *

After she'd spoken with Martha, Diana felt her spirit lifted somewhat, though she couldn't explain exactly why. All the same, Diana felt warmed by comfort. The Kents were wonderful people, she could understand now why Clark was the way he was. So calm and full of good will.

Martha had found some things for her to wear, a combination of Clark's leftover wardrobe from high school and a few things of her own. Shrugging, Diana pulled on one of Clark's sweaters, a red, scratchy thing, and made her way down to the kitchen where Martha was waiting for her.

Clark came into the room and swiped the keys off the counter. The plan was for him to drop them off to shop, and they would take the truck back to the farm once they were done. "All right, ladies, are you ready?"

Diana nodded. "I believe so, if this is...appropriate."

Clark looked over at what Diana was wearing. He didn't know much about fashion, only the things he'd picked up while covering Lana's designer shows. The man considered himself as someone with simple tastes: he didn't give trends a thought, he just knew what he liked. And what Diana was wearing was far from it.

One of his old sweaters, the material too thick and bulky to be worn by a woman like her. No, no. She belonged in silken lace or cashmere. Her endless legs were hidden under one of his mother's long black skirts, typically reserved for church services. Inwardly, Clark cringed. Since Diana was so tall, the skirt hem ended at the middle of her calf. On her feet were rubber rain boots.

Diana stifled a smile that she felt begin to creep into her expression. She knew she looked ridiculous, but agan, fashion didn't upset her in the grand scheme of things. Despite all she'd been through in the past week, she still found the silver lining and clung to it like a lifeline. Clark caught her smile and thought to take things into his own hands.

"Yeah...Ma, let me give you my card and I'll treat you ladies to a day out. I think you both deserve it."

Neither woman argued with his offer of generosity.


	10. Chapter 10

Clark parked his mother's car in the driveway and stepped back into the house. He closed the door behind him and took a deep breath. It had been a difficult week, but things were looking up as far as he was concerned. Diana was alive and well. She might be without her powers for a time but she was safe, that was all that mattered to him.

He gazed through the house and saw that his father was in the barn, milking one of their cows. Clark strode out to help. "Hey, Pa. I dropped the girls off in town. Here, let me help you with that." Clark said, reaching for the full metal milk jug. Their cows were strong and fertile, ready to be milked after the past two days.

"Thanks, Clark. So where'd you drop 'em?"

"Lindy's Salon. I figure Ma could show Diana the human woman's ritual of a Saturday manicure."

John smiled. "More like she wants to show off her new friend. You must have forgotten how the women are in Smallville, Clark. A new woman in town is all they'll talk about for he next month."

Clark shrugged. "She might not be here that long."

"Don't tell your mother that, she's already gotten attached and wants to keep Diana."

Clark laughed. "Like a stray cat, I saw that too. It might be good for Diana to learn about women from Ma while she's here. I know she's always wanted to learn more about the world but with the League there just hasn't been very much time."

"Well, she has the time now, and so do you. The world isn't ending again any time soon, is it?"

Clark shrugged. "Not that I'm aware of. I hope not. Every time I have to fight I usually end up bringing down half the buildings in Metropolis."

John wiped his hands on a rag and the men started toward the house. The day before, while Diana had still been laid up in his room, Clark had gone over every inch of the farm in an effort to keep his mind occupied on something other than worrying for his friend. After milking the cows, John's day was finished at 11:30. "You know, Clark, sometimes it takes a bull in a china shop to get things done. We've seen the news coverage, you know. I'm not sure your friend the Batman could have gone twelve rounds with Darkseid, but you sure mopped the floor with him."

"I just...I wish I didn't have to fight all the time." Clark said. Truly, he wished there was no need for Superman. He just wanted to write for the Daily Planet and retire back to the farm. He just wanted a normal life.

The men stepped into the house and into the kitchen. John tossed Clark an apple and then took one for himself. "That's what I'm saying, Clark. It doesn't seem that there are any disasters to take care of, so try to enjoy the peace while it lasts. Your mother wants you to stick around for a while and help to introduce Diana to Smallville."

Clark raised a brow. "She never said that."

"Not with words she didn't, but I've known your mother a good long while. After so many years, you start to figure out how a woman's mind works. Martha wants you and Diana to stay in Smallville at least until Diana gets her powers back, maybe even afterwards."

"I was planning to come home sooner, but with all that's happened lately...but you're right, Pa. I was considering coming back to Smallville before Diana's...situation." He thought to himself for a few moments. "You know, I saw a notice at the diner that the fair will be starting up in a few weeks. And there's plenty to be done before that. You're right. Diana's always wanted to know what it's like to be human, and now is an ideal time for her to learn. I'd be happy to teach her."

The unspoken thoughts of what Clark had already taught Diana flitted through his mind. He knew that the subject would come up between them, and soon.

Clark only wished that he could be as certain about what on earth he would say to her.

* * *

Diana stared down at her newly polished nails. Martha had called it "manicure", the practice of one woman filing and painting another's. Apparently men could perform the ritual and have it done to themselves, but these occasions were rare. She paged through a magazine as she waited for Martha to finish having her hair set. That ritual was somewhat familiar, at least. While the Amazons usually wore simple cotton tunics or robes, they had always held a private vanity for their hair, styling it elaborately for rituals and knotting it for battle.

Glancing up, Diana saw that several other women were looking in her direction.

"All right, are you ready to pick out some new clothes?"

Diana smiled to see that Martha's hair was shinier than it had been before, and her curls were more defined. "Yes, I am. But why are they staring at me?"

Martha glanced over her shoulder as they left the salon to see several of the women watching after them. "Oh, don't you worry about that. They're just curious, that's all. Not every day that Smallville is visited by royalty. Now, there aren't many clothing stores for the women here, but believe me, the shops that cater to ladies all have quality goods. We'll have you out of this get-up and into something sensational in no time."

* * *

Human women were very busy. They had so many things to consider. Their husbands, their house chores, their children, their own parents and occupations.

If Aphrodite did not return her gifts, Diana would have no choice but to live as a mortal woman. She did not keep a secret identity, but she did have an apartment in Washington D.C. where she resided when not working with the League. There were clothes there that she wore, and books lining every shelf. She would sometimes venture out to explore the city and attempt to blend in with humanity, but Diana had never felt much of a genuine connection with the people of Man's World. Not even the women.

But if she had no choice, could she do everything that these women did? Find that balance of life to share with with so many others?

Diana wasn't sure.

She looked at Martha Kent as she sorted through a pile of folded shirts. Wife, mother, farmer, friend. This woman had so many responsibilities, yet she was serene, joyful. She was also married. Diana knew what it meant, of course. She had sometimes wondered about it after she'd left Themyscira and seen couples. Most of the Amazons were indifferent to the idea of marriage and even of men at all. They were not hostile, just uninterested.

"You have not lived past lives as we have," Charka had once told her. Charka had been taken from her tribe in Kenya as a child and used as a slave until her fifteenth year, where the Romans had placed her in a brothel. Her soul had been resurrected on Themyscira after a particularly gruesome death at the hand of a customer. "You are innocent, your whole life spent here. Not all men are evil and not all men are good. I gave many men my body but I loved one. He was just a servant of the brothel, but I loved him. Still, if given the chance to live in Man's World again, even with him, I would not wish to lose the purity of spirit I have gained here."

Charka had had her points to make: Diana had never experienced the outside world that so many of her sisters had.

_But I have gone through a hell that they had never dreamed of. And as punishment for that sacrifice they have taken my power, leaving me banished from my home, alone in the world as a moral._

Diana frowned. She could not sink into despair or anger. Not when she had a wonderful family that had taken her in, offered her shelter and guidance. The moment of darkness passed. Diana calmed herself and resolved to pray to Aphrodite that night.

But first she had to choose the clothing that wold help her to blend in and learn what it meant to be a woman in Man's World.

* * *

The light rumble of the truck's engine making its way up the hill toward the house didn't have Clark running to greet the women at the door. After he and his father had had lunch together, Clark had gone off to the barn attic. As a boy, he'd climbed up to the hayloft and thought of the space as a sort of treehouse. As a young man he'd cleared the hay and made a space for himself to hang out, either alone or with Lana.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to go forward with the scenario of Diana living with him at the farm. After the night they'd shared, he feared he might make some mistake, or say the wrong thing to upset her. It was impossible not to relive that night in his thoughts, his mind loved to wander back to that scene. Her hands grazing over him, her lips so open and eager, her smile...Clark wanted her again. She'd made him feel like a man, something he'd never experienced with any of the others.

Curiosity was also preying on him, driving him up the wall with the constant question: _what if?_

_What if Diana gets her powers back? What then? Will we just pretend that it never happened? What if she doesn't even want to acknowledge it? What if she hates me for wanting her?_

But...

_What if Diana _doesn't_get her powers back? Where would she live? Here, in Smallville with my parents? With me, in Metropolis? Could we be together if she became a full human?_

Clark wanted to talk to her, but he decided to hold off on bringing up the conversation. There was no need to rush things. After all that she'd been through, Clark knew when to put his feelings aside to maintain a relative peace. He could hear her with his mother and father, they were somewhere in the kitchen now, talking happily. He could hear Diana laughing at something his father had said. She had a beautiful laugh.

Clark sighed.

He stepped out of the open hayloft window and drifted to the soft earth outside of the barn. As he headed into the house, Clark decided that he would make dinner that night.


	11. Chapter 11

Though Clark preferred the simple things in life, he did admit that his speed had come in handy more times than he could count. He moved about the kitchen rapidly, preparing ingredients for the night's dinner. He sliced tomatoes, he grated fresh cheese and set out the sheet noodles. Lasanga was only one of his favorite foods: he wasn't picky when it came to what he ate, especially when he only ate to enjoy tastes. The yellow sun provided him with all the nourishment he needed, but the sun could never please his palette.

As Clark readied the day's dinner, Diana was in the room she'd come to occupy since turning up on the Kents' door. Martha had sent her upstairs to change, and now Diana stared at the shopping bags they had accumulated during their day out in town. She shrugged to herself and brought out a pair of khaki courderoy pants and the navy swater Martha had said made her eyes "pop". She made quick work of stripping off Clark's old red sweater, Martha's long skirt and the rain boots. She stood before the mirror and examined herself. The grayish patch on the side of her waist was still present, and tender to the touch. A slow-healing bruise, then. Distantly, Diana could recall Ares kicking her in the side severals times. The God of War had left his mark.

"How's it coming, Clark, or should I even bother asking?"

Clark turned toward his mother. The finished lasagna was arranged in a glass dish, all that was left to be done would be to bake it. "I'm about done. What do you think, the oven or should I just...?" He pointedly widened his eyes, suggesting his heated vision.

"I think we ought to let the oven do it's job, hon."

Agreeing, Clark slid the glass dish into the oven, then turned to look at his mother more closely. "You look nice, Ma."

Martha smiled and patted her hair. "Do I? You're such a sweet boy, Clark, thank you."

John shook his head. "Martha, you've been fishing for compliments since you and Diana walked in the door. Shameless!"

"I'm a woman and I'm entitled to a little flattery from my son. You didn't say a word about my hair."

"You think I don't notice when you do something new? I always notice the difference...a few days later, anyway."

Martha smiled.

* * *

Clark looked up as Diana descended the stairs. She looked stunning in everything she wore, but this simple outfit skimmed her body and painted her as innocent of spirit and tender of heart, qualities that had always drawn Clark. His pulse quickened at the sight of her: she looked healthy, healed and happy. "Diana, you look great." He said as he stepped forward.

The woman smiled, obviously pleased with herself. "Thank you, Clark." Her eyes took him in as a whole, observing him as a woman for the first time. He was dressed simply as well, in loose jeans and a plain black shirt which did nothing to diminished his muscles. Looking at him now, after all that had passed between them, Diana secretly wondered how she had been so blind to him before. "You look very handsome today."

They said nothing for a moment, simply looking at each other, while John and Martha shared a sly look.

"You know, that lasagna isn't going to be done for a while. Clark, why don't you take Diana to see the new mare?"

Shrugging, Clark guided Diana toward the barn, thinking that for some reason his parents were trying to get them out of the house.

* * *

"Your mother is a fascinating woman."

Clark nodded. His mother was not the subject he wanted to discuss, but he promised himself that he would not bring up their night out of respect for Diana. "Yes, she is. Well, there's nothing she can't handle after raising me."

"I just might ask her about that. Don't tempt me."

It was the wrong thing to say, it made Clark think about her mouth and how tempting it was to just lean forward and kiss her. He could do it, but he had to exercise a little self-control for both their sakes.

"I won't, I won't. I'd hate for you to learn about all the things I broke and the trouble I got into after I learned how to fly. I was king of pranks for a good few years. Jealous?"

Diana laughed. "A little. Most of my childhood was spent in combat training and study. The Amazons are not a harsh people, but we are very strict. I've found that I have had to rely greatly on my training of late. When I was a girl I did not understand the point of it all, but I am very grateful for it now."

Clark lifted his brows. There was still so much he didn't know about her culture, her heritage. She was a royal princess of an island populated by immortal women. He'd learned a little while he'd been a guest on Themyscira, but it seemed that there would always be more to know. "Will you tell us a little more about the Amazons over dinner? I know my parents haven't asked, but I think we'd all like to hear more about your roots. Your story is more interesting than mine."

Diana playfully swatted his arm as they turned back toward the house. "Our stories are already intertwined, Clark. We are more interesting together than apart, don't you think?"

Clark wasn't sure how to answer.

* * *

Diana sat comfortably at the table and watched as Clark respectfully served his parents, then her, then himself with a large helping of his lasagna. The savory scent of tomato sauce and fresh oregano and basil. The dishes of the Amazons were harvests from Themyscira itself: fire-roasted game and fish, fruits of the earth and harvested grain. This lasagna was foreign to her, but very pleasing.

She smiled as each flavor opend itself, one layer at a time. "How's my cooking, Diana? You're still here, it can't be too bad."

She looked up at Clark and patted her mouth with a napkin. "It's wonderful, Clark. Truly. If I return to Themyscira I will introduce it to my sisters, I'm sure they would love it."

"What are your sisters like, Diana? Are they all like you, you know, able to fly and all?" Martha asked. She felt that she'd gotten to know Diana personally over their day out, but she was still curious about the girl's life on that island. What would it be like, to live on an island, isolated from the outside world for so many years?

Diana hesitated before answering. "We...it is a difficult question. As Amazons, were are all warriors, trained in several forms of combat. Competition is a way of life for us, but it does not rules our minds. Some of us enjoy the competitions more than others. Artemis is of a sister tribe, she is very close to me and one of the fierciest warriors I have ever known. Her younger sister is opposite to her, she lives in books."

John raised a brow. "Diana, I'm not sure if this question is allowed, but I have to ask- if there are no men on your island, how do these new Amazons keep springing up?"

"John!"

Clark put a hand over his mouth, desperately trying not to laugh at his father's question.

Diana smiled and raised a hand. "Oh, no, it's all right." She thought for a moment how best to answer the question. "My patron goddesses choose carefully from Gaea's Well of Souls who would be rained down on an ancient lake and rise from the clay of the lake bed as an Amazon. This is how my mother was reborn, thousands of years after her first death. Her people were enslaved and slaughtered by Heracles and after many years of war with man, the gods granted the Amazons a new home which became Themyscira."

John, Martha and Clark looked at her with wide eyes. "Wow. So that's how you...?"

"Oh, no. Forgive me- I was molded from clay and life was breathed into me by those same goddesses as a reward to my mother for her many trials. It was the only way my mother could have a child. The other Amazons rise from the sea as young women, reborn souls of murdered women."

Martha swallowed. "So...the other Amazons, if they wanted a baby, they would just make one from clay and your gods would bring it to life?"

Diana shook her head. "No. You must understand, most of the Amazons were robbed of their chance at marriage and motherhood in their first lives. Their new life on Themyscira is meant as a time to regain purity of spirit through warrior competition and deep study. Children are rarely even mentioned outside of jokes or in literary discussion."

"So, the Amazons can't have children?"

She thought for a moment. "I suppose it would be possible. The others can, they are human women that the gods have protected from time. If they were to leave the island in search of a man, they could become pregnant. I can have children as well."

Clark choked on his wine and quickly excused himself from the table.

Diana watched his retreating back, wondering if he was all right.

"You were saying, Diana? About having children?"

She turned back to Martha's question. "Yes, I can. I would beseech my goddesses to bless me as they blessed my mother. It would be in their hands alone."

Clark returned to the table, his face slightly drained of color. Diana noticed that his father was eyeing him strangely.

"That is just too interesting, Diana. You Amazons broke the mold!"

Diana smiled. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. I think the women of Man's World are far braver than we could ever be."

The conversation continued on, mostly through Martha and Diana. They spoke of rituals and attire, comparing their two cultures.

Clark stared down at his plate, his stomach twisting with the real questions he wanted to ask, the questions that had nothing to do with the other Amazons. He wanted to know about her, just Diana. He kicked himself. Yes, he had promised not to bring up the night they'd shared, but now he felt he had a responsibility to take the reigns and get the answers he desperately needed.

* * *

After clearing the dishes, Martha noticed that Diana was seated on the floor of the living room near the fire in the grate as she had been the night before. Clark was in a chair close to where she sat, his eyes alternating between Diana and the fire. She hated to admit the possibility, but it was possible that John was right and there might be something between Diana and her son. Were they keeping the truth of their relationship a secret for some reason? If they were, why?

She wouldn't mind it at all if Clark and Diana were together. She liked Diana plenty, she was growing attached already. Despite Diana's different beliefs and origins, Martha would gladly welcome the girl into the family as Clark's special lady. Martha smiled to herself as she moved up the stairs to leave them alone.

Clark could feel the words building in his throat, but he couldn't find it in himself to break the serenity he read on Diana's face. He sighed lightly. "I think I'm going to turn in early tonight, Diana."

She glanced up at him. "All right. I imagine you want your old room back."

Clark stood up. "Oh, no, no. You can stay where you are, I'm not one to put out a guest."

Diana stood with him. "And you? Where will you sleep?"

He smiled. "Don't worry about me. I'm all set up in the hayloft, I don't think my back can take another night sleeping in that chair by your bed."

"I liked waking with you in the room, but I understand. The hayloft. Why would you not sleep in the house?"

Clark swallowed. "I...a change of scenery might do me some good is all. Good night, Diana."

He hesitated only a moment, but decided that it would be worth the risk. Clark leaned forward and kissed Diana on the cheek before striding out of the house.

Diana gingerly touch the place that his lips had touched, grazing her cheek with her fingertips. She watched as Clark disappeared into the darkness, debating whether or not she should follow.


	12. Chapter 12

Two hours later and Clark was laying back on the sofa he'd brought in after clearing out the hayloft, years ago. His hands rested behind his head, his eyes staring straight up at the ceiling. He was trying his best not to relive the night he'd slept with Diana and failing spectacularly.

How could he pull his mind away from that night in his apartment? For him, sex had always been more of a trial than anything else: his mind had always been more focused on holding back his strength than on any enjoyment to be gained from the act itself. What fun could he have when the worry always hung over him that he could severely hurt the woman he'd come to care for?

And what had Diana meant when she'd said she could have children? Clark groaned slightly, his nerves rising. They hadn't used anything that night. Had she been trying to tell him that they were pregnant? No. No, Clark knew it was far too soon and that they were far too different to be able to have children together. He was an alien and she was a mystical force. Children with her would be impossible.

He wondered why the thought brought down his mood.

He thought he could be content with the women that had been before Diana...now, after finding heaven in her arms, how could Clark hope to find that same happiness again? He had come to the realization that he was cut off from human women, unable to have children and, after Lois, perhaps too jaded to reveal his true origins. It might be his destiny to flirt with women, but no more than that.

When Diana had come to him, asking that he take her virginity, there had been no time for him to weigh the consequences. He hadn't realized that he would come to feel so possessive of her: he had been her first man, her only lover. He felt that he had earned a special place in Diana's life, that in a way he owned a piece of her.

Clark shook his head.

He knew he was being presumptuous. A man never actually owned a woman, and certainly no man would ever own even a hair of an Amazon. Still, Diana chose him, didn't that mean that he was special in her eyes? He didn't think that Diana would have gone to just anyone with a plea to make love to her. It wasn't as if she picked a name out of the League roster- she had sought him out because she trusted him.

_I'm such a selfish bastard._

Yes.

He was being selfish because he didn't want to be the trustworthy, dependable friend. He wanted to be...the dangerous, exciting lover. He wanted to be what Diana wanted, because he wanted to be with her again. He didn't want her because they fought well together in the League or just because he thought she was sexy. Well...that was part of why he wanted to be with her.

He rolled over. _Did I just hear...?_

Clark got up from the sofa and moved to the hayloft window, he'd left it open just in case he needed to fly back to the house. He stood on the sill and gazed out into the darkness. A figure was moving from the house toward the barn. His pulse quickened as he recognized Diana coming forward. She ran into the barn below him, a few moments later Clark could hear her coming up the stairs, coming closer to him.

He stood, rooted to the spot and filled with dread. He could fly away, escape Diana's smile and tender hands. It was ridiculous- Diana was on her way up the stairs and Clark felt vaguely afraid of her.

"Clark?"

_She's already seen me, I can't fly off now._

He turned around and instantly wished he hadn't. _Oh, shit._

Diana was wearing a nightgown, just a red slip of satin and...absolutely nothing else.

Clark swallowed. "Oh...evening, Diana. What brings you out here?"

Her face was open and vulnerable. Clark tensed, clamping down on the urge to rush to her and bring his lips against hers, to revel in their softness again. "I just...I wanted to see you."

Clark nodded. "Oh. Is everything all right at the house? I know it can get, um, cold..." His eyes had helplessly drifted down to her breasts, pearled behind the draping satin of her nightgown.

Diana frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "See anything interesting?"

Clark blinked and snapped his eyes back to her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Please, I shouldn't be surprised. I know how men think, you're all disgusting."

She spat venom at him but she did it with a smile. She was only teasing him. Clark moved before her and grazed his fingertips down her bare arms. He smiled to see that gooseflesh rose in the wake of his touch. "Can you blame me? You're beautiful, Diana. I'd have to be insane not to..."

She looked up. "Not to what?"

His control broke within, Clark couldn't stop himself. He pressed his lips against hers, relishing the taste of her. She was the same sweetness and strength she had been that first night. Diana moved her lips against his, opening her mouth, deepening their kiss. Clark felt her hands move to rest on his chest and she made a soft noise against his mouth. He felt a thrill jolt through him as she touched his face.

They pulled apart, both panting from the kiss. Clark smiled and pressed his forehead against Diana's. The kiss. It had been...

"Clark?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't let me go."

"Never."

Diana smiled. "I meant that literally. I can't fly, remember?"

Clark realized what she meant. Somewhere during that kiss, he'd risen them both near to the ceiling of the barn. Slightly embarassed, he lowered them down to the hayloft once more. "That hardly ever happens." He said in his defense.

"I'm glad it did."

Diana moved to the sofa and sat down. Her cheeks were bright pink, her chest rising with each breath. Smiling, Clark tossed her a blanket so that he wouldn't be distracted again.

* * *

Clark sat down beside Diana on the sofa, feeling light and carefree. She was curled on the opposite side, warm and cuddled under his blanket. She knew she had made the right decision in coming out to the barn when she'd seen him silhouetted in the hayloft window. His back had been facing her but it had hardly mattered for the jump of excitement she'd felt in her stomach.

After Hermes had given her the Olympic order, she had sought out Clark for help. She had gone to Clark, knowing that if she went to Ares as a virgin, that the god would glory in conquering her body. She had thought of no other man: Clark had been the only man that would be able to help with such a delicate situation. And he had. He had been both tender and passionate and ultimately understanding.

Since she'd healed herself through Gaea there had been no time to speak to him about what had happened that night in his apartment. She had needed time to come to terms with it all, with the abuse of Ares and the strange attraction she now carried for Clark. For years, he had been her secret rival in strength and speed though they had fought for the same ideals. Before that night, Diana would have said he was handsome and a good friend, but nothing more.

It had been his good-night kiss.

It was why Diana had come to find him in the hayloft. Her eyes found his in the near darkness of the barn. "Can I ask you about that night?"

Clark nodded. "Of course. I wanted to talk about it earlier, but I just didn't think it was the right time."

Diana raised her brows. "Because of my time in Tartarus."

"Well, yes. When Aphrodite gave you to me, I thought it would be best to bring you here. I was so afraid that you would die, Diana. I've never seen you so injured before, I never thought you could be so hurt." Clark held Diana's hand, trying to convey how it had felt to see Diana so defeated and clinging to life.

She frowned. "It was Ares. I would not have been so harmed if he and Aphrodite had not taken my powers. I have prayed for their return but she has not answered me."

"I'm sorry, I wish I could understand why they did this to you. I know how frustrating it is when you find yourself human." Clark said truthfully.

She looked up. "This is has happened to you?"

He nodded. "A few times, yes. Either by Kryptonite or a red solar source, I've been humbled that way before."

Diana took a deep breath. "The difference between us is that my gifts may not return. At first I thought it would be simple to relate to humanity this way, but I may be like this for the rest of my life. I don't know what I'll do if it comes to that."

Clark reached under the blanket and grasped her foot, tickling her sole. Diana laughed.

"It might not be so bad. You weren't this ticklish before, were you?" Clark asked, laughing with her.

"No. Perhaps you're right and there is something to being human after all." She said, laughing as he continued to tickle her foot.

Clark nodded, simply stroking the underside of her foot now. She breathed hard, tried to ignore the gooseflesh that was rising over her flesh from his touch.

"Diana, I have to know. When you came to me, was it because you wanted me, or did you just happen to be in the area when you got the news?" Clark asked. He tried to keep his tone light, but he truly wanted to know.

Diana's eyes held his. "When I made the decision to offer my virginity, I knew it would be to you. I knew it before you did, that in a way it was only right. I gave my body to a God of Justice before surrendering to the God of War. I...wanted it to be you, Clark."

That Diana had just called him a god was a great boost to his ego, but Clark pressed on, "And now?"

His stroking hand had moved up her leg from her foot, teasing her legs apart as his fingers skimmed over the skin of her calf. His rhythm was hypnotic. Over her ankle, her calf, then the knee, his hand would move to stroke the underside of her leg then, teasing the back of her knee, then down the calf to circle her ankle once more.

His eyes had grown darker. Diana found it was difficult to focus as he was touching her. Some strange thing was coming over her. Her lips parted and her eyes drifted closed. "I...I still do."

Clark moved forward over her, his body pressing her back into the sofa. Diana's legs cradled his hips as his lips found hers. She gasped as his seeking mouth moved down to nuzzle her neck. His teeth grazed the pulse point in her throat.

Clark felt his mind drowning in her orchid scent, he could feel her hands moving under his shirt to move over his chest and back. Somehow, his shirt landed on the floor of the barn below them. Slowly, tentatively, Clark manuvered them so that Diana was atop him, straddling his waist. His hands lifted to her chest.

Distantly, he was thankful that she still wore the nightgown and he was still in his jeans. The voice of all things Moral and Decent hissed the truth in his mind: that things could go no further, that after what Diana had been through, he would only hurt her.

His hands cupped her breasts, teasing the tips as he devoured her mouth. His hands ignored the voice in his mind and moved down to cup Diana's backside and hips. She refused him nothing as he continued to kiss and stroke her.

He could feel himself straining to join with her, the urge was painful. Clark had to stop, he knew there was no other choice. To continue in this way would only hurt Diana, a thing he could not allow to happen. As it had so many times before, reason took over, fighting his lust. "Diana, Diana, we have to stop."

She tried to kiss him again, unknowingly moving herself over his hips. Clark groaned, thanking God he hadn't taken off his jeans. "No, no, Clark, we..."

Clark took a breath. "Diana. We have to stop. I don't want to hurt you."

She stopped, the color rapidly draining from her face. In an instant, she was off him. Clark swallowed. He knew that look on her face and nothing good could come of it. "You don't want to hurt me?! I'm mortal, not made of glass! You didn't mind having me just days ago and now I'm beneath the great Superman? Bones made of twigs and flesh as strong as mist, how dare you? I'm an Amazon- pain is a part of our teachings, we deal with it every day!"

Clark rose to try calming her. "Diana, Diana, please, I didn't mean it like that. I just...after everything you've been through this week I didn't want to be another thing that hurt you."

Her eyes glowed with rage. Diana reached out and threw a glass at him. Out of habit, Clark ducked and let it shatter against the wall behind him. "Diana, stop it! You're acting insane, this isn't you."

"Don't try to tell me who I am! I am Diana of Themyscira, princess of all Amazons. I've known who I am for over a thousand years. You're the one who pretends to be something you aren't. I should never have come here, I'm going back to Themyscira!" Diana moved to the hayloft window and jumped into the air, forgetting everything in her despair.

She rose for just a moment before gravity took over, calling her back to earth.

Clark was there in an instant to catch her, cradling her in his arms. He landed on the ground, silently standing as Diana sobbed into his chest.

* * *

They sat together again on the sofa, all thoughts of lust drained from their beings.

Diana leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees as she took long, deep breaths, one after another. Clark stroked her hair and her back. His touch was only meant to comfort her. She had errupted at him, showing an anger that was directed at her patron goddess. He let her yell at him, he let her hit him until her anger was gone.

Diana did not hate Clark. Truly, she was not angry with him. It was her frustration at being aroused and then denied, her dread at being left a mortal, her lonliness for her mother, her sisters and her true home.

"I'm sorry, Clark. I didn't mean to-"

"It's all right, Diana. I understand. If it was me I might have done the same thing, trust me. But...you don't have to face this alone. Whether you're Wonder Woman or just Diana, I'll be here for you, do you understand?" Clark kissed her cheek. Diana allowed him to put his arms around her and pull her close.

"You are a good man, Clark. Any woman would be lucky to have you."

She could feel him laughing against her. "Let's not start that again, I can't resist you. Don't act surprised, either. I'm just a man."

"No. No, Clark, you're more than that." Diana put her hand over his heart, smiling to herself as she felt his pulse speed beneath her fingertips.

He leaned back, bringing Diana with him. They remained in the hayloft, eventually drifting to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

"You did this? Why?"

The hulking figure before her, once so beautiful and now so cursed, darkened the room in which they were alone, away from the questioning eyes of the others.

"Ares had no right to demand her, Zeus had no right to grant her and Aphrodite is full of love's pettiness. I knew she would come back if she thought her place by Ares' side was threatened, even for a moment. It wasn't, of course. Ares demanded Diana purely as vengeance suffered during the war in Kasnia. Of course, there was another reason..."

Hippolyta narrowed her eyes. "Of course there was. I am no fool, never again."

"The world needs Diana, my underworld realm does not. Her presence in Tartarus was upsetting a delicate balance, one so fragile that even you recognize the importance of keeping. As for any other motivation, perhaps I was after something different."

She turned her back on Hades, ignoring the silk of his voice. "What you want is no concern of mine. You are the liar, the betrayer of Olympus."

"One little mistake and my name is cursed forever, hmm? You humans can be so unforgiving. My brothers Zeus and Poseidon and I have made ammends eons ago. Perhaps there is nothing I can do to win back your love, but in bringing back Aphrodite, I saved your daughter. For that I expect your forgiveness."

Hippolyta took a deep breath, knowing that forgiveness of this god would release a part of her own heart from the bondage of anger and resentment. Diana and Hades had once fought together to restore the delicate balance he had spoken of, putting aside their differences to save the world of the living. How could Hippolyta spend her life instructing her daughter in the Amazon ways of peace when she herself still carried a centuries' old hatred?

No.

After what Diana had willingly went through so many times for the good of her people and the rest of the world, Hippolyta knew she owed it to her daughter to thank the force that had resulted in her rescue.

Hippolyta squared her shoulders and stared into the flaming red eyes of Hades. "I thank you for saving Diana. She would hve died in Tartarus had it not been for your intervention. I forgive you for your lies so many years ago, as well. I forgive you."

The god nodded, inclining his head in a show of acceptance. "Thank you, Hippolyta. In my way, I am sorry that my betrayal- as you call it- of Olympus failed. Had it worked, I would have made you a goddess and had you rule by my side in dominion over mankind."

She only shook her head. "It was never meant to be, Hades. Again, thank you and goodbye."

Hippolyta watched as Hades smiled, showing his fangs, before fading away into black mist taken away by unseen winds.

She took another deep breath and felt the weight rise off her chest.

* * *

Diana started awake at the rooster's shrill cry, just outside the barn. Even from the height of the layloft, the damn bird was as loud as if it was crowing right in her ear. She opened her eyes, looking about the hayloft-turned-hideaway.

Clark was gone. His absence did not trouble her.

Carefully, Diana rose from the sofa and started toward the desk table on the far side of the loft. A thin layer of dust coated its surface and the few things atop it. An old flower vase of blown green glass. A garden spade. An old wristwatch with a cracked face. A few framed pictures. One of Clark with his parents, all of them looked very proud: he was wearing a long blue robe and a flat, square hat. In his hand was a rolled scroll of paper.

In another frame was a younger Clark with a lovely young woman whose hair reminded Diana of her sister Artemis of the Bana-Mighdall tribe. The resemblance between the two was restricted to the wild shade of their hair, but all the same it sent a streak of homesickness through her soul.

There was a last framed photograph. Clark as he appeared now: tall, confident in himself as a man. In the picture he was flanked by a young man with red hair and freckles, he was holding what Diana recognized as a high-tech camera. A woman was on Clark's other side. She was tall, shapely, with pale skin and long dark hair. Diana blinked and realized that she was looking at Lois Lane.

_The_ Lois Lane.

There were several differences between them but their similarities were clear. Diana frowned. She and Lois looked so similar that it was eery. Is that why Clark had so readily wanted to be with her? She knew that he had made the final decision that he and Lois could never be. Lois knew nothing of what he was, and Clark had made some mentions that he thought Lois to be more in love with the cape than the man.

_Is he...using me as a substitute for Lois? Does he think of her when...Don't be a fool, Diana. Clark is a great man and has proven himself to be nothing if not honest. He would never stoop so low...would he?_

The thoughts rattled in her mind for a few moments, but Diana pushed them aside as she heard voices outside, approaching the barn. She narrowed her eyes, trying to listen.

"I can't believe you would do something like this, we raised you better!"

"Ma, it's not what you think- I swear, we were just talking and fell asleep."

"Oh, please, Clark, do you know how many times I used that same lie with your grandparents? You can do better than that."

"John, don't you dare encourage him!"

"Ma, you're overreacting, I promise you."

_Ah, so Martha is cross with Clark and I for last night._ Diana thought.

Her mother had once given her a stern lecture after she had come to understand that Diana would sometimes sleep aboard the WatchTower. Nevermind that she always slept in her quarters, always alone. Hippolyta was not happy to know that men were only steps away from her daughter's room.

Diana started down the stairs to the barn floor. Three sets of eyes stared at her: one shocked, one embarassed and one wholly admiring. She hesitated, then realized. Diana was still clothed only in her night slip. A red blush rose to her cheeks, matching the satin material.

Clark was before her in the blink of an eye, hovering in front of her, effectively shielding her from his parents. "I understand you were scared when you found her gone again, but I promise she was safe and we won't scare you like that again. Really, this is my fault."

"Clark, you scared us half to death with this stunt! What were you thinking?" Martha demanded.

Diana felt a tug at her heart. Why did Clark feel the need to take the blame for everything?

She stepped out from behind him, and put a hand on his still-bare chest. His skin was very hot.

"Martha, John. It is I who should be apologizing. I came out last night to-"

"Diana, don't-"

She ignored Clark. "I had to speak to Clark about the night we shared in Metropolis before I left for Tartarus."

Behind her, she heard Clark groan.

John was obviously trying not to smile, both out of embarassment and pride for his son. "I don't need to hear the rest of this, I'll be in the chicken coop."

Martha crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed at Clark. "What happened in Metropolis?"

"Please don't say it-"

"I gave Clark my virginity."

"You what?!"

Clark buried his face in his hands- this whole morning was humiliating and the sun had barely even risen above the horizon! "God, Diana, did they not teach you a sense of discretion on Themyscira?"

Martha stared daggers at her son. "I hope you're proud of yourself, taking advantage of her the night before she had to go to hell to face the devil!" She then turned on her heel and stormed out of the barn.

Clark looked at Diana. "You've just made life a lot harder for me, do you know that?"

"Martha was punishing you when I was the one who left the house last night. I should have stayed, but I'm glad that I didn't." She smiled at him and laid her hands flat against his chest, absorbing his heat.

Clark smiled back at her, knowing she had him wrapped around her finger and not caring at all. He pressed his forehead against hers and thrilled when she allowed him a kiss. He held her and they rose only a little.

"I should get changed, I want to help on the farm today. And I'll talk to Martha about what happened."

"Please, don't. I can live without my mother knowing anything about my sex life."

Diana shook her head. "She's a good woman and deserves the truth from us both, especially as I owe my life to her care."

Clark groaned a little. "I'm starting to hate that you're right."

* * *

Diana walked into the house without fear, determined to speak to Martha and defend Clark if need be. Clark himself had gone off to find his father.

She stepped inside to find Martha at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee. "Martha, I must speak to you."

"What about?"

"Clark, of course." Diana pulled out a chair and sat directly across from her. "You must understand. He did not take advantage of me, he would never do such a thing. He's a good man, not an Ares or Hades reborn. If anything, I took advantage of him!"

Martha started up from the table, clearly embarassed. "All right, I don't need to hear any of this!"

"No, no, Martha, please. It's important that you understand the circumstances-"

"No, I think I've heard enough of-"

"I told Clark my reason: that if he did not have me first, then Ares would. I had to beg him to even consider, and when it happened-"

"Jesus, why are you telling me this?"

"-he was a perfect gentleman. He pushed for nothing I could not give, he demanded nothing of me. He made sure that I felt safe with him. He refused to even look at me until I assured him that it was my choice."

Martha was sure her face was as red as Clark's cape. "That's lovely, now if you'll just excuse me..."

"Martha, please. We are women- I want you to know that you have nothing to be ashamed of in your son. He was there when I needed him in more ways than just that one. Were it not for him, I promise you, I would not have survived Ares." Diana said, her voice drowning in conviction.

Martha tensed. Diana was telling the truth, anyone could see that. Distantly, Martha wondered if this woman was even capable of telling a lie.

Finally, the woman abandoned her embarassment and relented. "I believe you when you say he didn't...I was just upset, Diana." She shook her head. "We raised him to be a good man and never thought he'd be forced to make the choices that he's had to over the years. He's around these evil people so often that sometimes I worry he'll...nevermind. I don't know, Diana, maybe you'll understand when you have children of your own someday."

Diana smiled at Martha. "Oh, children. I know that Clark wants children of his own but cannot have them with a human. When I am granted my powers, I may give him the child he once lost."

"What?!"

* * *

Clark sliced an arc through the clouds as he flew over the farm, looking for his father. He wanted to apologize for keeping Diana in the barn overnight and worrying him. He felt foolish, demoted to the randy teenager he'd once been in having to explain why he had kept Diana in the hayloft.

He knew this conversation would be awkward, but he had to go to his father as a man, look him in the eye and say what needed to be said.

His feet touched the ground just outside the chicken yard and he stepped into the pen. Distantly, he could hear John calling at the hens for feeding. Clark simply followed the noise. John was tossing handfuls of feed at the fat, hungry birds who pecked at the ground around his feet.

"Hey, Pa."

John looked up. "I'm surprised your mother left you alive. How mad is she?"

Clark shrugged. "She was pretty mad. Diana's inside now, talking her down. I wanted to apologize. I wasn't thinking when I decided to keep her in with me, and I'm sorry you were so worried."

John tossed the final handful to the chickens and wiped his hands on a rag. He looked at his son and smiled. "It's all right, Clark. Your mother was the most worried. I had a hunch. You and Diana, huh?"

Sheepishly, Clark nodded.

"How's that going to go over in the League?"

Clark smiled, relieved to know his father wasn't angry, just interested. "I don't know. There aren't any rules against dating other heroes. We're just...taking it slow. We have to, until we know if she gets her powers back."

John frowned. "She still hasn't heard anything from...up there?" He asked pointing toward the sky and Diana's gods.

He shook his head. "No, she's prayed, but...and I'm not sure what we'll do if she's stuck like this. It would make things harder but I want to make it work."

John shrugged. "I can't blame you. She's a hell of a catch. Reminds me a little of your mother when we first started going steady. She was so giggly back then, telling everyone."

Clark smiled. "I did a lot of the field work while Diana was sleeping last night. Do you mind if I take her to town later today?"

"I don't mind at all. Just have her home on time, or your mother will have a fit and I'll catch hell for it."

"You've got it, Pa."

Clark started walking back toward the house, determined to take Diana out on a real honest to goodness date. If they were going to try being together, he wanted to do things right.


	14. Chapter 14

It was a quick flight from Smallville to Metropolis, and back again. Clark had been economic with his movements, staying within the cloud cover to avoid being seen, and moving through his apartment at a fast pace.

His thoughts were filled with Diana, and what he could do to make her happy that night.

The night before, she had revealed a new side of her self, one filled with vulnerability and doubt. Clark knew she didn't want to remain as she was, essentially mortal. Unlike him, Diana had been created by her gods and she had carried the knowledge of who she was destined to become since her birth.

Clark wasn't one to spend much time thinking about fate or the hand of the divine. He had fallen into the role of Superman after coming to understand his origins. The Els had launched him into space with love, refusing to let their son die along with the rest of Krypton. Anything could have gone wrong in the journey through space. He could have ended up on a planet with a red sun and be rendered with the strength of an average man. Or another family could have found him, one less concerned with morality and more concerned with personal gain.

Clark knew only too well how easily it would have been for him to have become just like Luthor.

He was essentially an accident, but it didn't bother him too much.

Diana, on the other hand, was currently being denied her destiny. She, who had been so strong and cunning, so honest and beautiful...she was struck down to humanity for as long as her gods wanted, leaving her without choice and without occupation.

Clark smiled slightly to himself. He would be happy to keep her occupied for as long as it took for Ares and Aphrodite to make up their minds. But then that was him being selfish again.

He moved abut his apartment quickly, gathering the things he needed for the plans he'd made. He carefully zipped the garment bag that held his new black suit, and chose a bottle of wine, an essential for a night out.

Checking his watch, Clark decided that he had enough time to step out for a few special things.

* * *

He rode the elevator and found his way to the Metropolis mall where he and Diana had once been tricked into fighting each other. His jaw ached every time he even thought of that night- the woman was vicious.

He shook off his nerves and stepped into the Victoria's Secret, feeling somewhat deviant just by stepping across the threshold of the store.

_I can't ever come here again, I feel like a pervert!_

He swallowed and tried not to stare at the posters on the walls of pouting supermodels wearing scraps of decorative lace. Clark made his purchase and then made a quick exit out of the store and back into the hectic crowd of the mall interior.

"Clark?"

He turned too fast, as if he'd been caught stealing. Heat rushed to his face and he quickly shoved his fingers through his hair, brushing it back from his face. _Where did I put my glasses?_

He cleared his throat. "Oh, hi Lois."

She looked as lovely as ever, polished and trim, wearing a sleek pair of slacks and a violet blouse. I her hand was a bag from Saks, most likely a new pair of heels. He smiled to see her, even when she'd caught him off-guard.

"Don't you 'hi' me, what's in the bag?" She asked as she headed toward him, smiling and eager to get the scoop. Even in her downtime, she was nosy to a fault.

"Oh, it's just...it's nothing."

"Oh, sure. Clark Kent is panicking over a Victoria's Secret bag and I'm supposed to believe it's nothing? Who is it for?"

Clark took a step back, enjoying the games they always played in the newsroom. Though he had decided not to pursue things with her romantically, he found he was happier to have her as a friend. He put the small bag behind his back. "I don't kiss and tell."

"If you're buying from that store I think the ship has sailed past just kissing. Come on, Clark, don't torture me in front of a crowd." Lois smiled mischievously. Her smile was genuine, she was having fun. Sometimes there was nothing she liked more than teasing Clark, he was like her adopted kid brother.

"Oh, all right. Over here." Clark sat down on a bench and held the bag open for Lois to peek inside.

She frowned, "That's it?"

He raised his brows. "What? You don't think it's not enough?"

Lois reached inside and pulled out the bottle of perfume. "It's not that, it's just...I'm disappointed, Smallville. I was hoping that I'd find something a little more...risky."

Clark took back the perfume and put the little bottle back in the bag. "She's not very flashy...I mean, she can be, but it's not on purpose. Not really. What I mean is, is that she's more than enough on her own. She doesn't really need all that." He said, motioning to the lingerie displays in the storefront window.

Lois smiled again, very happy for him to have found someone. She'd always wondered why he hadn't dated, he was certainly handsome enough. "Wow. My little Clark, all grown up with a girlfriend. Who is she?"

"She's...just someone I've known for awhile. Somehow, things fell into place and we're sort of seeing each other now."

"You're giving that to her tonight?"

"Yes, how'd you guess?"

"Womens' intuition. I think she'll like the perfume. A little wine, a little dancing...I miss romance!" Lois groaned. Some bit of longing might have shown on her face, though she was happy that she'd given up on chasing a certain hero.

Clark stood up. "There are other fish in the sea, Lois. Give Aquaman a call."

"Very funny, Smallville!"

* * *

Clark's feet touched down on the sweet Kansas soil of the Kent farm and he slipped inside to hide his gift for Diana as well as his suit. It wouldn't do to give the game away now.

Gazing out the widow, he could see Diana and his parents just outside the barn. He recalled her saying that she wanted to work on the farm, but thanks to Clark there wasn't much work to be done. He rolled his eyes. It wouldn't take all three of them to milk two cows, he was sure of that.

He moved outside, waving to them.

"Look who's back, you missed all the excitement."

"I was only gone for-" Clark paused to check his watch. "A little over an hour, what happened?"

John opened a burlap sack for Clark to inspect. Inside, there was a dead rattlesnake. "How did that thing get out here?"

"Beats me, but your girl got it with a knife. That's a real skill, you could teach a class." John told Diana warmly.

She shook her head. "It was just luck. I thought it might have been an agent of Ares, I don't like having to kill animals I don't intend to eat."

Martha shook her head. "Don't you worry abut that. The snake won't go to waste, we'll skin it, then maybe feed its meat to the chickens. There's a use for everything, you know."

Clark shrugged and moved toward Diana. "I was thinking, maybe you and I could go out for a little while."

"Where?"

"Just out. We could have a little fun." He said, wriggling his eyebrows.

Diana smiled. "All right."

"I know a few spots in Metropolis, and then we can come back to Smallville for a nightcap."

"I'd like that. There isn't too much to do here now, thanks to you."

Clark smiled. "Me? If I hadn't been so worried for you, I wouldn't have covered the farm. The blame is squarely on your shoulders."

Diana laughed. "Just this once. Let me change first."

He looked at her in the new jeans paired with the rubber boots from the day before. "That might be a good idea."

* * *

The late afternoon was fading into evening, but even with the sinking of the sun, Diana's spirit was lifted by the opportunity to be alone with Clark again. It did strike her how fast their lives had changed, from simply being team mates and close friends to the lovers they were now.

She smiled to herself as she toed off the boots and began searching through the shopping bags for something more...suitable for an evening out with Clark. He'd mentioned a visit to Metropolis. Diana had not often gone to his city, and the few times she had had always been in response to some crisis or another.

Off came the jeans and the t-shirt. Diana stood naked before the mirror, inspecting herself. To her eyes, she looked as she always had in the past. Before her was the reflection of a tall, pale woman with brigh blue eyes and long black hair. Her body was lean and powerfully built; if she was a human, she could easily be taken for an athlete or a dancer. Her movements were infused with a feline grace instilled in her since birth.

Still, even with so much beauty, Diana felt the pang of diminishment. She missed flying more than anything; being rooted the the ground was a harsh punishment in itself, but without her strength, without her family or her home...

_Stop. Despair will lead you nowhere._

Diana shook off the swell of hopelessness she'd felt and turned to the side. The grayish mark on her skin was still there, and spreading. She'd noticed it that morning and it was larger now than it had been then. Touching it, Diana felt no pain. The mark's texture was only much drier than her unaffected skin.

There was much that needed to be explained to her, she felt, but her goddesses had not answered her prayers for understanding. Distantly, she wondered if she had already been abanoned to humanity.

* * *

"Wow, you look great."

The compliment was given by John, not Clark, as Diana made her way down the stairs and into the living room. While they had been shopping the other day, Martha had insisted that Diana pick out a dress. _'Every_ _woman needs a dress,'_ Martha had said. _'I'm surprised they never taught you that as a survival skill on your home island!'_

Diana had not been too interested in finding new clothes, but because it had seemed to please Martha, she had chosen a red dress with capped sleeves and a squared neckline. It was simple, but it had excited Martha, who insisted on a few accessories to be placed with it. One being a gold clutch purse and a pair of golden heels. A simple gold necklace seemed to complete the effect.

"Thank you, John. I admit, I am not too accustomed to wearing such things but I understand why so many women enjoy dressing up."

"Well, you fit right in with all the beautiful ladies the world has to offer. Clark's just in the other room and will be out in a minute. Snack?" John offered.

Diana shook her head. "Thank you, but no. I'm not hungry just yet."

"I think that'll change when you find out where we're going." Clark said as he entered the room. He had changed into his new black suit, one his tailor had assured him was a wise investment. If Diana's expression was anything to speak of, he had to agree. She was looking at him like she wanted to eat _him._

Clark stood still, taking her in as she was taking him. Slowly. Absorbing every detail. He'd paired his suit with a bright white shirt and a cerulean blue silk tie. Clark was not a vain man, but he knew he had his charms when not wearing a cape. He was a lucky man, and would be the envy of every other man in Metropolis with Diana on his arm.

He didn't think of her as a trophy, but it was clear that they would cut a striking pair. She in her scarlet dress and he in the new suit. He smiled to himself. Having Diana around was great for his self-esteem. He felt more confident already just by looking at her and knowing that she cared for him.

Clark stepped forward and offered her his arm. Diana looped her arm through his and allowed him to lead her outside.

"Where are we going?"

Clark shook his head. "I want it to be a surprise. Hold on to me."

Diana did as he asked and felt her stomach tighten as he lifted her into the air.

* * *

It was different being held than it was being the one who did the carrying. Diana swallowed and tried not to look down. When she'd had her powers, the heights had never bothered her, but after jumping out of the hayloft and expecting to fly, only to fall like a stone, had troubled her more than she'd let on.

_What will I do if I am never able to fly again...?_

Clark had a different flight style than she did; it was one of the things she's come to notice over their years together. Typically, Clark flew higher when he was out of his costume, unwilling to show his face for fear of his identity being discovered. He also had a tendency to fly faster, again it was a mechanism to elude any humans with cameras.

Diana had no such concerns. She was Wonder Woman more often than not, and even on the days when she attempted to play a citizen she was unafraid to show her power if need be. She often wondered if she could beat Superman in a flight race, but they had never tried it. Perhaps Clark feared her fierce competitive streak. He'd said himself that he'd hate to have her as an enemy.

In a way, Diana took that as a compliment.

As for Clark, he hadn't taken a woman flying since Lois, and that had been months ago, before he'd decided that they couldn't be more than friends. He enjoyed the novelty of it, as he knew Lois had, but what about Diana? He knew she must miss flying terribly, but she hadn't said a word about it since he'd lifted off the ground.

He hoped she didn't think he was trying to impress her the way he had tried early on with Lois, he only wanted to bring her to Metropolis as quickly as possible. Flying was the quickest way.

* * *

"The Metro Lounge?"

Clark nodded as he straightened his tie. "Yeah, it's the latest spot to open on this side of town. It got great reviews in the Planet, and I thought you might like to do a little dancing." He said, raising a brow at her.

"I'm a terrific dancer, but how about you?" There was a fun challenge in her voice.

"I can do a box step, how's that?"

Playfully, Diana swatted his arm. "Now I get the chance to teach you something."

"Is that a promise?"

Diana only smiled.


	15. Chapter 15

"This should be great, our restaurant critic was really excited about the place. It doesn't hurt their business that this side of town wasn't too damaged by Darkseid, either." Clark said to Diana, winking as the waiter showed them to their table.

The Metro Louge was a large, elegant restaurant. Many tables surrounded an open dance floor and a live band that was currently playing lively jazz. Diana smiled. There was a time, not long ago now, that she had held the hope that it would be Bruce, not Clark, who would take her out for a night of dancing.

Clark squeezed her hand and glanced at the floor. Many couples were already there, moving happily with the music. "How about we order drinks first before going out to the floor?"

Diana nodded. "I haven't been in many places like this, I'll follow your lead tonight."

He raised a brow. "Just for tonight?"

A strange shiver rushed down her back. Something about the way Clark was looking at her, speaking to her...all of it reminded her of what had almost happened in the hayloft before he'd put a stop to it.

A slow smile spread across her face. "You might be happy to follow _my_ lead in some things."

The waiter appeared with their drinks before Clark could respond.

Diana sipped the fruity cocktail and tried not to wince at the strong bitterness of the alcohol. Clark set down his drink. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, but Hera, that's strong." Diana said, laughing at herself.

She had faced down an evil god, was she about to be undone by a strong Tequila Sunrise?

Clark stood up and held out his hand. "How about that dance?"

Sensing a challenge, Diana stood and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor where the music was waiting for them.

* * *

It escaped the couple's notice that many eyes were resting on them as they moved over the floor in near perfect time with the music. The men both on the dance floor and at the tables surrounding it were transfixed by the woman's exotic beauty, while just as many women wished that they could be in her place.

Bright blue eyes were locked in a fiesty challenge of wills, daring each other to look away but neither willing to give in first. It was a game familiar to Clark: as Superman, he had met his fair share of strong women, both on the side of good and evil. Lois had been the first woman he'd met that had actively sought to compete with him in his occupation.

It had been as refreshing as it had been strange. He admitted that Lois's strong will had been one of the reasons he'd fallen for her- if only she'd returned his feelings, things may have ended very differently.

That Diana was holding her own against him in their playful staring contest spoke to who she was: a being who saw herself as his equal. No more, no less.

"We're drawing some attention." Clark said.

Diana looked around them. "They recognize us?"

"Made you look."

She realized his trick and shoved at his chest. "You are a cheat, Clark Kent. I'll be telling your mother."

The man only shrugged. "Go right ahead, you've felt free to tell her everything else about me."

Diana shook her head. "Not everything. Just the things I know."

"And you know plenty. More than any other woman I've..."

"Hmm?" Diana drummed her fingertips on his broad shoulder, enjoying the feeling of being held by him. It was entirely new to her, being protected and cared for in this way.

Clark was a gentleman, but he was a man. She knew he wanted her, and she could admit to herself that she wanted him as well. There was no shame in her admission; the Amazons were a proud people, and though many of them were justified in their distrust of men, they could be almost brazen when expressing their desire.

Diana felt fortunate to have gotten to see these hidden aspects of Clark. He was friend, son, farmer, reporter, teammate and once, he'd been her lover. They had shown each other sides of themselves that no one else had ever seen.

Clark stopped their dance and drew her to the edge of the dance floor, back toward their table. "I have something for you."

They sat down again, cautiously sipping their drinks. Diana realized that the trick would be to use a straw, and not allow the tequila to hit her tongue. "What is it?"

He reached into his jacket and drew out two small boxes. Diana raised her brows. "Is this a ritual of your people?"

Clark laughed loudly, drawing quick, curious glances from nearby tables. "No, no...well, actually I guess in a way you could call it that. Just go ahead and open them." He said, gesturing to the boxes. He was obviously excited.

Diana opened the first to find a small glass bottle. "What is...?"

"It's just a little perfume. I thought you might like it."

She took a quick whiff of the scent and smiled. Black orchids. The scent reminded her of a favorite hill rise on Themyscira. "Thank you, Clark. It's lovely."

"And the other one." He urged, pushing the box toward her.

Diana lifted the lid of the second box to find two thin silver band bracelets. She stared at them, shocked.

A moment passed. Then another. "Do you like them?" Clark asked.

Her face was unreadable, had he offended her somehow?

Diana looked up at Clark's concerned face. He wore his heart on his sleeve. He cared for her, very much. Not just as a teammate or friend any longer. He had brought her to a safe place and stood over her when there had been no one else to offer her any help or comfort. How could he know that in gifting her a pair of bracelets, he was only driving home her sentence of mortality?

He couldn't. He didn't.

He was only trying to...to...

"They're beautiful, Clark. Truly. I was just surprised for a moment, that's all." Diana told him, recovering herself.

She hated lying, but she had to spare his feelings after the sacrifices he'd made for her. It was the right thing to do, in this case.

Clark smiled in relief. "Oh, good. I was hoping that you'd like them. I figured, you know, you could wear these until you get a new pair of Amazon bracelets."

Diana swallowed and slipped her hands into the lighter, thinner bands of silver. Truly, the bracelets were lovely, and she felt a tiny thrill in her chest to see that Clark had selected bracelets garnished with a star. It was a testament to his attention to details.

Still, there was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. In slipping on these bracelets, Diana was giving in to the dream that Clark had weaved for her.

* * *

Walking hand in hand, Clark lead Diana to the pier and together they simply stood facing the harbor. It was late and the moon was out, casting them both in pale white light. Glancing over to her, Clark was startled to see that Diana was paler than usual in moonlight. For a moment he was sure that her skin had turned to a pale silver-grey.

"Did you have a nice time?"

Diana nodded and glanced down at her bracelets. "Yes, it's been a beautiful night, Clark."

He leaned in a nuzzled her neck, sending thrills through her body. "It doesn't have to end now if you don't want it to."

Diana leaned her head back, allowing him to kiss his way up her neck, to her jaw, to her cheek. His mouth hovered over hers, waiting for her understanding. She leaned into him, her hand lifting to rest on his chest, just over his thundering heart. "You mean...your apartment?"

"If you want. If not, we can just go back to Smallville for that nightcap." Clark said, reminding her. He had promised to take her to Smallville's only real nightspot: a country bar where they could play pool, throw darts and learn the electric slide.

Flying Diana back to Smallville so she could visit Pete's Place was far from what he wanted. He wanted Diana back at his apartment, undressing for him, in his bed, naked, beneath him and-

"Then I choose your apartment."

They were there in less than five seconds.

* * *

Ever the gentleman, Clark lifted Diana over the railing of his balcony and then floated past her to open the door. Diana stepped inside, taking in his dwelling with new eyes.

_Was that night truly only days ago? I spent a millenia in Tartarus, reliving every moment of my time spent here with Clark...each second stretching into infinity in my mind..._

Clark closed the balcony doors and stood, watching as Diana looked over his apartment. He found himself doing the same thing. The space had not changed since he had been there that afternoon; the apartment was still modest and tasteful, sparsely decorated but welcoming to guests.

He moved forward and wrapped his arms around her from behind, drawing her in close. Diana leaned back against him, losing herself to sensation as Clark bent to kiss her neck again. He continued to kiss her, even as he turned her in his arms so that she was facing him. His scent of vanilla musk, freshly cut grass and rain water wafted over her, drowning her mind in the most pleasant sensations of comfort. His hands skimmed over her body, neither demanding or vulgar.

_It feels so good, so right with this woman..._

He stopped just to hold her, to revel in having her against his body, with him alone and away from the world. Clark manuevered them into the sanctuary of his bedroom. The voice of reason was always a breath away, eager to put a stop to his fun, but he knew he'd be lost without it.

Clark took a step back from Diana, though he held her hands in his. "Are you sure this is what you want? If it's too soon-"

Diana took a step forward, closing the space between them. Her lips found his in the darkness with ease.

Her pulse thundered through her, rushing blood and excitement through her body.

She trusted Clark, above all others, Diana knew she could trust this man.

* * *

Clark woke to the distant sound of sirens, a sound as unwelcome as the crowing of the Kent rooster. He glanced at the window, thankful to see it was still dark outside. Good. There was still time to bring Diana back to Smallville and have it all seem innocent.

He blinked, yawned. Diana looked so beautiful sleeping beside him. There was something to be said about waking up next to the woman he...

Regret lanced through him, but Clark ignored it. As a man, he had to respect her decision no matter the frustration it caused him. The choice was left in Diana's hands. He blamed himself for being selfish once again- it had been too soon, no matter what she'd said earlier.

Clark nudged her awake, smiling as her eyes opened and sought his gaze in the darkness once more. "Clark."

"I hate to wake you, but we should get going. It's time we head back to Smallville." He told her. He hoped his voice didn't sound as disappointed as he felt. He couldn't make her feel blamed for the way their night had ended. He tried to sound at least a little like his usual upbeat self.

"Is it? I'm sorry, Clark, I didn't mean to-"

Clark shook his head, then caught her hand and planted a firm kiss on her inner wrist. He could still scent the perfume mingled with her skin. "You have nothing to be sorry for, believe me. Nothing." He took a breath and got out of the bed, searching for his suit jacket. "This won't happen again, Diana. I knew I shouldn't have brought you here...but we shouldn't talk about this now. We need to get back."

Diana nodded, understanding. She slid out of his bed and moved into the bathroom.

Her hart was heavy in a way she had not anticipated. Her fear was hurting Clark, making him hate himself for wanting her as a woman. It wasn't his fault that she was still haunted by her time in Tartarus.

_I never should have agreed to come here tonight- I should have gone back to the embassy rather than force my presence on Clark and his family..._

* * *

Clark had just shrugged into his suit jacket and opened the balcony doors when he heard the shattering of glass from the bathroom. He was outside the door in an instant. "Diana, did you drop something?"

She didn't respond and Clark didn't bother asking her a second time. He twisted the doorknob so hard that it snapped apart, and he strode inside. The mirror above the sink was shattered. Diana was huddled on the floor against the wall, her dress halfway down her waist. Her arms were wrapped around her knees, her breathing was deep and slow; it was clear that she was doing all she could to calm down and regain that reknown Amazon clarity of mind.

Clark went to kneel before her. "Diana, please, what happened?"

Her eyes were wide and clear. There was disbelief in her expression, a painful coming to terms. True fear had only touched her long life a handful of times over the centuries, but even then, Diana had had the unerring pantheon of goddesses to answer her prayers and give her guidance.

Not so anymore. Diana was alone, abandoned to the world of men.

Clark kneeled before her, stroking her arms, trying to get her to tell him what had happened.

"Diana?"

She swallowed, willing the clouds of panic to part from her mind. When she spoke, her voice was in control, but not without an undercurrent of new fear. "I thought it was just this, mortality, but Ares has sought to unmake the Amazons ever since the goddesses rallied for our creation. How could Aphrodite have let him do this? Who will protect my mother? My sisters?"

Clark frowned, not understanding. "Diana, I can help you, you know I can. Just tell me, please, let me help you."

With a surprising show of strength, Diana shoved him away. Clark fell back against the wall and watched as she stood and turned her naked back to face him.

Where there had once been just a gray bruise coloring her skin, Clark looked on her and saw that it had spread across half of her back, enveloping her once-smooth skin in its dead ash shadow. Fine spiderweb cracks shot across the shadow, the drought of parched earth.

Through Diana's words, Clark realized the horror of Ares' curse.

Diana would not only be unmade as a heroine and rendered mortal, she would be called out of being and crumble back into the clay of Themyscira from which she'd been made.


	16. Chapter 16

He was through being selfish, keeping it all a secret, hiding her away from their friends. It had been stupid, so damn stupid to keep it all under wraps. Didn't they deserve to know? Didn't they deserve to offer their help in any way that they could? Who was he, anyway, to ignore all the resources the League had to offer?

"How could you do this? You've already cost us precious time- time that could have been used to help her, and for what? So the two of you could run around Metropolis like a couple of teenagers?"

Clark groaned inwardly as Bruce hissed his anger at him, feeling every word like a dart of guilt to his chest. "It wasn't like that...we only realized what was happening tonight."

The stark white eyes of the feared Batman narrowed at him from behind the mask. "How?"

Clark had been hanging his head in despair and guilt since he'd come into the League conference room. Diana was several floors below them in the WatchTower, laying on a bed in the medical area. She had never even seen the space before- there had never been a need.

Clark looked up. "What?"

Bruce leaned in closer. When he spoke, his voice was full of menace. "I said, how did you find out what was happening? I assume she didn't just wake up today without her powers and then found herself crumbling apart earlier tonight?"

Clark shook his head. There were things he didn't want to tell: he was a private man when it came to intimate things, he always had been, and concerning the developments with Diana in the past week or so, Clark wanted to keep as much of it as he could to himself. He knew damn well that Diana wouldn't want him to tell everything that had passed between them, but it seemed that secrecy had been the most damaging sin of all.

The League was suspicious- Bruce was the only one willing to voice his own anger over it.

"No. I think Diana knew something about it, but she didn't understand what was happening until she saw the cracks. She knows that Ares and Aphrodite are behind this."

"And how do you know?"

Clark swallowed. "She told me, days ago. They took her powers and I guess Ares is making her...like this."

Bruce nodded. "You guess. Diana came to you without her powers, and neither one of you bothered to tell us. You only thought to grace us with your presence after she let you know she was breaking apart. I'd like to know what you two have been doing the past few days."

"That's our business." Clark said quickly.

"No, it's not. Not anymore. This secrecy between the two of you, it ends now. Whatever you were doing with her in Metropolis, I don't care, but I hope it was worth it Clark."

* * *

Clark sat alone in the commissary, thinking. The root beer float he'd made had gone flat and warm, the ice cream within the glass was melted. He'd made it with the hope that he'd feel better, but he'd quickly found it too much to stomach.

He wanted to go see Diana, but he thought it would be better for her if he gave her time alone.

Women were like that. They needed space, time to reflect and to buy shoes. This was about the extent of Clark's knowledge of women. There had been so few moving in and out of his life: he wasn't like Bruce or Wally. He wasn't wired to flirt or cultivate a large female following.

Clark Kent was ignored while Superman was literally beyond the reach of Earth's women. This amounted to a largely solitary existence.

Diana had been a friend for so long that he'd begun to think of her as simply his best teammate- she was a skilled warrior, his closest friend and an integral part of the League. Things had changed between them in the space of a week. Clark couldn't help how he'd started to feel about her.

He couldn't say that he was madly in love with her, but he did love her. He loved her enough to mourn her when she'd gone to Tartarus, enough to keep her secrets and keep her safe as she'd recovered from the onslaught of an angry god.

More than anything, Clark wanted Diana to be safe, to return to her old self- a living goddess, beautiful, strong and a true wonder.

He wanted to spend more time with Diana, to see where things might lead between them. He wanted to give them a chance, but what hope was there for them now? Now, when she was cursed to crumble away from the world and return to the earth?

Clark blinked and found Wally sitting across from him. He started. "Where'd you come from?"

"The medical bay."

A silence hung between them for a long moment.

"How is she?"

Wally shrugged and pulled back the mask on his costume.

Clark had rarely seen the real face of the Flash and it made him took twice to see how young the man really was. Wally could easily pass as Jimmy Olsen's older brother. Wally's eyes were sad as he looked at him from across the table. "Not great. She's tired. But not too tired that she couldn't swat at me for asking to take a look at...well, you know."

Clark raised a brow. "Yeah. I know. Even without her powers, she's still the most skilled among us."

"You think she could beat Bruce hand to hand?"

Clark's eyes darkened as he considered the possibilities. He'd had time to stew over the way Bruce had blamed him for Diana's condition: the thought of taking Bruce down a few pegs had its appeal. To Wally, he shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. She probably knows Themysciran techniques that Bruce has never even heard of."

"Are you going to tell me what happened?"

Clark looked up. "About...?"

"Look, I'm not mad or anything. I know Bats was giving you a hard time earlier but that's not me. I'm just curious- why would Diana's gods take away her powers? And you two don't live anywhere near each other, so why were you together in Metropolis when you brought her in?"

Clark sighed. "We...we were just out to dinner and she noticed her skin felt funny, so she took a look and then we came here."

Wall smiled. "That's a great way not to answer any of my questions, Blue. You forgot to mention why the log says you both beamed in from your apartment, why you've both been incommunicado for the past week and why you're both being so shifty with your answers."

Clark was silent.

"Come on, give a guy a break, will ya? The suspense is killer, and you know I'll find out soon enough anyway."

Again, Clark sighed. He didn't want to talk about any of it, he hardly knew where to start. "Flash. Wally. It's just been a hell of a day, and I don't want to talk about it. I'll see Diana, and then if I have her blessing I'll explain. But until then, don't bring it up again." There was a warning note in his voice that told of his worry, his anger and his exhaustion.

For once, Wally knew to back off. He put up his hands. "All right, you win. She was awake when I left. I didn't ask her anything, but I think she's staying up for you."

As quick as he'd come, the Flash was gone again in the blink of an eye.

* * *

Despite his better judgement, Clark headed down to the medical area of the WatchTower. He'd informed his parents that they had been called in to the League and he wasn't sure how long it'd be before they could return. He saw no reason to reveal the severity of the situation, of course.

_Let them go on believing that things will be all right in the end- because I'm Superman and I always find a way to save the day...what a joke it is...what a lie..._

He paused in the corridor outside the medical bay. He could hear Diana speaking, even laughing a little. Before he could stop himself he was looking through the wall.

Mari was on the side of Diana's hospital bed. She had changed into a plain white medical gown- though Clark was relieved to see that her mood seemed greatly improved. She had calmed down once they'd made it to the WatchTower, almost accepting of the situation.

Mari leaned in close to Diana. "You and Big Blue- I can't believe it! You never seemed to care for him like that before."

Diana shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please, honey. Animal senses, remember? I can smell him on you."

"No, you're wrong. It's nothing."

Mari laughed, teasing. "Just look at you, you're blushing like a schoolgirl."

Diana laughed and tried to ignore the heat flooding her face. "Please, I haven't been a girl for centuries. As for Cl- Superman, he just found me and brought me in, that's all. Now, there was some mention of contacting Dr. Fate or Zatana to help reverse this curse. Would you please...?"

Vixen eased off the bed. "All right, all right. I'll check to see how long it'll be before they get here. Don't you worry about a thing, Diana. A few spells and they'll have you back to normal." The woman squeezed and patted Diana's hand; they had rarely worked together in the past, but there was no reason that Mari wouldn't extend a measure of comfort to a fellow teammate.

Diana smiled, attempting to seem reassured.

Mari left Diana's room and her eyes fell right onto Clark. "I knew you were there the whole time, you know."

Clark nodded and loosened his tie a little more. Whatever there was concerning John, Shayera and Mari, Clark had elected to take no part of it. He liked Mari- she was a great asset to the League and held his same ideals for peace. She was also beautiful- a real-life supermodel, if he remembered it right- but even she faded when compared to Diana.

"I know. It was your spider-sense, right?"

She smiled. "Something like that. She's afraid, you know. Doing a hell of a job hiding it, but under all that Amazon bravado, she's scared."

He nodded again. His voice was quiet. "I know."

Mari glanced back toward the room. "I'll check to see how long it'll be before the members with magic powers are assembled and...I'll make sure the two of you have a little time alone."

Clark laughed a little and couldn't fight his own smile. "Wow. Is it that obvious?"

Vixen gestured to her talisman. "Not everything has to do with my spider-sense. That was just woman's intuition. I can get you twenty minutes. Any longer and the rest of the League will know something's going on."

Clark ran his fingers through his hair and slipped his tie through his shirt collar. "I wouldn't worry too much about that. Something tells me they've already figured it out."

* * *

"Vixen knows about us."

Clark nodded as he came to sit on the edge of Diana's hospital bed. "I know, I spoke to her in the hallway. Flash is hinting and Bruce...well, you know we can't keep secrets from him. I think he knew the second he saw us. Maybe even before then."

Diana smiled and threw back the sheet. She got off the bed and headed toward the cupboard where her clothes had been stored. "I am not concerned if they know. That's between us for however long it lasts."

He watched her as she stripped off the medical gown. Her body, clothed only in the trim undergarments she'd picked up in Smallville, held every temptation for him. He sat, rooted to the spot as he watched her graceful movements- such an everyday act as stripping off one garment and slipping into another was a thrill for him to see. Too soon, Diana was back in the simple red dress she'd worn to dinner with him in Metropolis.

"What do you mean?"

Diana turned to face him. "I've been cursed by Ares. He's a _god_, Clark. Do you really think the little magicians of our League will be able to reverse the curse?"

He was taken aback by her sudden derision, but he pressed on. "I do, Diana. I trust that they won't stop until you're out from under Ares's power and-"

"Stop trying to placate me, Clark." She snapped. "I knew what he'd done to me the second I saw it in the mirror. Ares will see me unmade one way or another, no matter what magic the League uses against him. My existence is tied directly to Olympus. Interfering will only rile the gods further."

He stood up and put his hands over her shoulders, preventing her from leaving the room. "So, what? You want us to just give up on you and sit on our hands while you...?"

She turned to face him fully, her bright eyes burning into his. "While I what? Fall apart and vanish from life?"

Clark recoiled from her words, hating that she was thinking that way. Had Diana already given up so easily?

Her hands reached for his face and she brought her lips to his. "I know it will happen, Clark. I've lived for centuries- I've seen it happen. The gods have given me time, perhaps it will be a few more weeks before the curse finally takes over. We have some time left, you and I, but the day will soon come when I am no more."

The salty sting of tears was building behind his eyes. Tears were already coursing down her cheeks. "Diana, I-"

"Clark, please understand. I am not giving up on life, but I am accepting my place as a child of Olympus. It was Ares who cursed me, but Zeus has allowed his son's curse to hold. This would not be if the gods did not will it."

Clark brought her closer, holding her in a tight embrace. "Why would they do this to you?"

Diana sighed against him. "The gods are fickle. Perhaps they wanted amusement. Perhaps they will have me vanish to give rise to a new champion. What matters is how my remaining time is spent."

"What do you want to do?"

Diana shook her head. "Truly, I want to go back to Themyscira. I want to see my mother and sisters again. I want to ride my horse and see the island hills. The dolphins that visit us in the lagoon and the sentinel eagles that fly overhead. I want to be there again, but I have been exiled and I risk the lives of the Amazons if I should return."

He shook his head, wishing he could bring her home but knowing he was helpless. He absolutely hated being helpless.

_What use is all this strength if I can't help someone I care about?_

"Themyscira is no longer an option, but I wouldn't mind going back to Smallville if that's all right with you."

Clark smiled and held her closer. "Anything you want, princess."


	17. Chapter 17

Shayera entered the central command room of the WatchTower and moved to the side to watch as Dr. Fate and Zatana, along with Etrigan and Captain Marvel, gathered their magic energies together in an effort to reverse a curse that had been put on Diana.

On learning of the news, Shayera had needed time to accept that her friend was in trouble, but more than just facing down another powerful villain, Diana had had her legendary powers stripped and been attacked by her god of war. Shayera had never believed in worshipping higher powers: Thanagar had long ago abandoned religion of any kind. After traveling to Tartarus with Diana, she believed in the existence of the Olympian dieties, however she found them to be just as petty and weak as any human. Worship _them?_ Never.

Shayera had enertained the idea of flying back to Tartarus and forcing Ares to change Diana back, but what could she do, really? For all her own strength and grit to go with it, she was just a mortal. Her sharp eyes took in the scene: Diana was sitting in the center of the room, their magical allies circled around her.

The princess didn't appear excited at the possibility of the return of her power. Shayera sighed. She understood.

While Superman, Dr. Fate and the rest of them were optimistic that their magic could reverse or at least slow the progress of Ares' curse, Diana knew better. It was written all over her face, and for once Shayera found herself following the Amazon's train of thought.

_Their magic won't be enough- if Diana can see that, why can't they?_

The colored energy exuded by each hero swirled around the room like liquid smoke, rising and falling on the air. Shayera narrowed her eyes as they raised their hands, aiming at Diana and focusing their magic to her. At once, the magic joined and flew to Diana.

Shayera raised a hand to her eyes in defense against the blinding light. She listened intently. Diana wasn't screaming or reacting in any way. If she wasn't in pain, perhaps the magic was working, maybe she'd be Wonder Woman again by daybreak, she could be-

"Argh!"

The light died down as Etrigan fell to his knees. Dr. Fate, Zatana and Captain Marvel joined him moments later. Diana rose from the chair in the center, her eyes taking in the pain of her friends. She shook her head and started to Zatana. She kneeled down and rolled Zatana onto her back, then lifted the smaller woman into her arms. Though her powers were gone, she was still a woman in her prime, powerfully built and lean with muscle. Zatana was light in her grasp.

Her eyes found Superman and Batman. "We need to bring them to the medical bay."

Bruce and Clark had been doing much the same as Shayera- wary of their vulnerability to magic, they had stayed back. Diana strode through a corridor without another word.

Shayera stepped forward and moved to Dr. Fate. The man wasn't too injured, he'd only had the wind knocked out of him. She helped him to his feet. "That went well. Is there a Plan B?"

Clark assisted Captain Marvel, who was rubbing his head. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I heard a voice in my head right before the magic backfired. I didn't know the language, does anyone...?"

Etrigan got up before Bruce could assist him, and immediately changed back to the human Jason Blood. "It was Greek, Diana's native tongue. Something about 'the will of Aphrodite will not be challenged'. Well. Diana was right. We can't break her curse without causing further harm."

Clark visibly deflated. "I'll ask what she wants to do now. Maybe there's another way, something we haven't thought of-"

"Or maybe you just like having another woman to save."

The room turned to Batman, as stoic and forbidding as ever.

Clark glared at him. "What?"

"She was powerless for days before you brought her back. She already knows we're too late. If you had brought her back immediately, maybe we could have done something, but we're way past that now."

Shayera raised her brows. "Batman, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that Clark let his feelings override his responsibilities to this League. If he had acted more quickly, we might not be down one of our most valuable members."

"Bruce, you don't know how wrong you are. If I listen to any more of this, I know I'll do something I'll regret." Clark told him. There was an element of warning in his voice that was so rarely heard, it sent a quick shiver down Shayera's back.

The other heroes could only stand and watch their League founders square off in a silent glare.

"You should already regret what you've let happen to Diana. I'm going back to Gotham to work on a plan."

Batman stalked out of the room, anger holding in the tension of his shoulders.

Clark sagged with guilt. Had his want to be alone with Diana cost them precious time?

* * *

"I told you it wouldn't work." Diana said as Clark stepped into his quarters. He was surprised to find her waiting for him. He'd assumed she'd want to remain in her own room for the night- he should be the last person she'd want to see. "The gods are too powerful- even if they weren't, I'm tied directly to them."

Clark sank into a chair, his eyes unwilling to seek hers. "We can't let this happen to you."

Diana shook her head and moved closer, then knelt beside him. Her hand reached to run her fingers through his hair. "There is nothing you can do. No spell, no sacrifice, no battle will change what is. You must learn to understand that."

Clark reached for her, bringing her into his lap. "I should have brought you here after Tartarus. It's just like Bruce said. We could have helped you if I hadn't wasted time in Smallville."

She shook her head. "That time was _not_ a waste. I was happy with you and for a time, I was part of your family. Bruce is angry, but not with you. He is angry because this is something that he cannot control."

Clark sighed against her. "Your strength may be gone, but that legendary wisdom sure isn't."

Diana laughed. "They had to leave me with something, otherwise I'd be dull and shapeless."

His hands circled her waist, careful of the area that had begun to change. "I like your shape the way it is."

She leaned in and kissed him. "Thank you for everything, Clark. Without you, I don't know what would've happened to me. I might have been destroyed in Tartarus if I'd not had you to act as my shield."

Clark leaned back, enthralled as her hands began a caressing massage of his chest and shoulders. "What do you want to do, Diana?"

She leaned forward and kissed his neck. "We could try again to-"

Clark opened his eyes. "Diana, as much as I want that, I can't put you through that again. You say you're ready, but it's clear that you're not. We can enjoy our time together in other ways."

Diana scowled at being denied. It was true, she'd wanted to be with Clark again while they were in his apartment in Metropolis, but once they'd been in his bed and attempted the act, striking memories of Ares invaded her mind, terrifying her. Clark was right, damn him, she was not ready to be intimate with him again.

"Then I want to go back to Metropolis and Smallville. If I can't set foot on Themyscira, I'd like to spend my remaining time with you."

* * *

"We're going back to Metropolis."

Flash looked up at Clark's announcement. He'd gone into the commisary after hearing of the unsuccessful attempt to use magic to reverse Diana's curse and bring back her powers. He was trying to think of a way to help, but he wasn't sure what he could possibly do. His own power was tied to the Speed Force, and even he was afraid to approach it again.

Feeling useless, he'd set up a late night snack of ice cream, cookies and six cans of cola, then joined Vixen, GL, Aztec, Shayera, Fire, an exhausted Dr. Fate, Dr. Light, the Question, Ice and Shining Knight.

"Why Metropolis?" He asked. Wally knew that Diana's embassy was in New York, he'd even visited her there once, though at the time he had been distracted by the other Amazons. He couldn't help himself- when surrounded by so many unique beautiful women, what man could be expected to focus on anything else?

Clark looked at Diana, seeming lost for words.

Diana stepped forward to answer for him. "Clark and I have become involved. As I can not go back to Themyscira, I've chosen to remain with him."

A hush fell over the room as the news was absorbed and the eyes of their friends looked at them in a whole new light. No longer were they Superman and a diminished Wonder Woman, they were Clark and Diana- friends and now it seemed, lovers.

Wally was by their side in an instant. "Diana, how could you do this to me? I thought we had something special, what with all the iced mochas and how you touched my hair that one time!"

Diana laughed and hugged him in close. "Wally, you'll always be my first love."

He smiled and then turned a stern eye to Clark, poking his finger at the lapels of his suit jacket. "And you, if Diana has chosen you, I'll have to trust her judgement, but that doesn't mean I won't keep my eye on you-"

"That's enough, Wally, leave them alone." John cut in, using his ring to forge a thin shield between Wally and Clark. "It's bad enough they had to announce a thing like this, and now all of a sudden you're jealous?"

Clark shook his head. "It's all right, John. If it was me, I'd be jealous too. Who wouldn't be?"

Diana smiled. "Good answer."

"Hey, I'm just trying to make sure he's on the up and up. What do we really know about Supes anyway?"

John rolled his eyes. "You're kidding me, right?"

Wally smiled. "Of course I am. Just because you guys are about as grim as Bats doesn't mean the rest of us can't have a laugh."

The Flash had done it again, broken the tension with his infallible sense of humor. The other heroes in the commisary gave in and laughed. It was a sound welcome to all.

* * *

They made the easy return to Clark's apartment, noting that it was already well past midnight. "Well, that was an exciting visit to the WatchTower." Clark said wryly as he sank into his living room sofa.

Diana only shrugged. "I told them their magic wouldn't be enough. The gods do not tolerate being challenged."

He shook his head and yawned. "We were only trying to help."

"I know, but this is something that none of our heroes can change. Shall we go to bed? As you said, it's been a long night."

Clark stood up again. "Sure, sure. I'm about ready to hit the hay too. Here, I'll get you something to wear." He strode into his room, rifled through his dresser and then came out with a clean t-shirt and a bathrobe for her to wear. "I guarantee that these won't fit, but I promise they're clean."

Diana laughed. "That's good enough for me, I could sleep for a week."

He handed the clothes to her and waited in the living room as she changed. She slipped into the bathroom and was out a moment later. "I'm sorry that I broke your mirror earlier tonight. I was just a little upset."

He raised a brow. "A little? I can't blame you for it. And don't worry about the mirror, they're a dime a dozen." His eyes roved over her, appreciating that his shirt was considerably shorter than her dress, giving him more leg to look at. And Diana had such wonderful legs...

"Clark, are you all right?"

He shook off the fevered daydream. "Oh, yeah, yes. I'm fine. You can go ahead and sleep in my room, I'll sleep out here tonight. In the morning we can go back to Smallville."

She frowned. "You don't want to sleep with me?"

"It's not that I don't. It's just...if I go in there with you, I don't trust myself to keep my hands to myself." He said the last with a chagrinned smile. The truth was between them, but they could laugh about it. Perhaps that was the point of genuine affection, that they could be honest and laugh at themselves.

Diana smiled and took a deep breath. "All right. I understand. I respect your decision and I promise I will do nothing to tempt you in that way. No matter how much _I_ am tempted to do so." She winked at him and then stepped into his room, closing the door behind her.

Clark wondered if Diana was truly so naive, or if she knew of the desire she could stir in any man and enjoyed drawing out their torture.


	18. Chapter 18

As Clark drifted to sleep, his mind conjuring visions of Diana ranging from innocent to pornographic, the object of his new found affection laid back, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom.

_I have crossed so many lines since entering the outside world, done so many things I'd once never dreamed to do...I followed the commend of Zeus, that I go into Tartarus and act as the consort of Ares. Why am I being punished in this way? To return to lifeless earth after finding this happiness with Clark..._

She rolled onto her side, enjoying the size of Clark's bed, the scent of him that lingered in the sheets. He was in the threads of the shirt he'd given her, the air she breathed. Diana wanted him again, she had nothing to lose by admitting it. Clark was too noble and too good to have her again, damn him, not after she'd had the flash of memory and seen Ares next to her, not Clark.

It wasn't fair. Diana had no fear of her death itself, she feared for her mother and Amazon sisters. She felt bereft and unjustly denied- she wanted to fight, but her own body and an unbreakable curse was the villain. The thought of all that she would miss pulled at her: the League adventures, the quest for peace, the chance to be by Clark's side.

_It's all gone now..._

Diana rolled over again, knowing it was all useless. She couldn't sleep. Not yet.

Throwing the covers aside, she stepped into the bathroom. The mirror remained above the sink, the shattered glass holding within the frame and reflecting a broken Diana back to the room. She ran the water and splashed her face, then cupped her hands and drank.

Her stomach felt twisted, her mind was buzzing. She had lived her life with the promise of unending tomorrows, but her time had now come to an end. How would it be? To have her flesh revert to clay and crumble apart? Where would it finally happen?

The idea that her whole being could crumble if she so much as sneezed too hard was unnerving. She, who could bring down a building would have to walk on eggshells. _Pathetic._

She turned around and lifted the shirt, trying to see how far the curse had spread. The broken mirror was of no help. She didn't feel any different. The curse was painless- she felt nothing of the area effected by the magic.

Sighing, Diana turned off the light and slipped back into Clark's bed.

* * *

"Diana?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her. Diana opened her eyes to delicate sunlight coming in through the window at the end of the room, and she turned to him. "I slept in, what time is it?"

He shrugged. "It's not too late, only a little past ten. We could-"

He stopped at the sound of impatient knocking at his door. "Hold on a sec. Jeez, it sounds like Flash wants to give me another dressing down."

Diana smiled and stood, stretching and reviving her body. Clark had left the door open and she frowned at the sound of a woman's voice.

Clark had been too quick to open the door, only to find Lois, not Wally, waiting for him on the other side. He raised his brows as she stepped past him. "Smallville, I've been calling your cell all night! Where were you when last night's story broke? And you thought you could scoop me every time!"

He hurried to slip on his glasses and smooth back his hair- he had to become Clark Kent the man again. "I, well, I've been a little distracted-" He could see Diana's shadow moving across the floor in the other room.

Lois scoffed and helped herself to a muffin from the tin on Clark's table. "Distracted? You, who've always gotten the drop on every big story? I'm dying of shock, what could've possibly distracted you from-?"

"What indeed."

Clark and Lois turned to see Diana leaning casually against the frame of his bedroom doorway. Her hair was mussed, and the too-short t-shirt obviously wasn't hers. A satisfied smirk rested easily on her flushed face.

Lois dropped her muffin in shock. She turned to Clark. "Smallville, it's impossible! I'm risking my life to nail today's hottest story while you're cozy at home nailing a supermodel?! What is this world coming to?"

Clark sighed lightly and shifted his weight. "It wasn't exactly like that-"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Diana surge forward. "You must be Lois Lane. I'm Diana." She introduced herself and extended her hand.

Still surprised, Lois shook her hand and couldn't help looking the woman up and down. Perhaps she'd been too presumptuous by labeling Diana as a supermodel. The woman wasn't the fashionable stick-thin creature that stalked the runways. No, Diana was lean but powerfully built, and Lois had to admit the woman had a face to launch a thousand ships...there was something both familiar about this woman.

"It's great to meet you, Diana...?"

"Prince." Clark spoke up. "Diana Prince."

Diana looked at him, then accepted the fib. "We've been seeing a little more of each other lately. I'm sure you understand."

Lois shot a look at Clark that said he would be drilled for details the second they met up again, but for now, Lois knew when to be polite. "I understand. Sorry to burst in like that, I thought Clark would be alone. I'll let you two get back to your morning."

Lois winked at Clark as she passed him, then closed the apartment door behind her.

Diana turned back to him, running her hands over his chest. "I like her, she has fire in her."

He laughed. "Yes she does, among other things. Are you ready to go?"

"I just have to put my dress back on."

Clark let her return to the bedroom and he opened the balcony doors, observing the gentle breeze, the warmth of the sun. Diana returned a minute later, clad once again in the pretty red dress she'd been wearing the night before. She looked rumpled, and Clark was sure he didn't look much better. His new suit was in dire need of a pressing, but what difference did it make when they were about to be airborne anyway?

Diana came forward, her eyes full of trust. She put her hands over Clark's shoulders and kissed his lips. "I'm ready."

* * *

"So how did things go at the League?"

Martha asked the question in all innocence as she laid out a spread for the members of her church who were expected to come over after the late service that morning.

Clark leaned over and stole a slice of tomato. "It went all right. Nothing new going on just yet."

He hadn't explained the new severity of Diana's curse and he didn't know if he should. His parents didn't need more to worry about, and Clark still denied the reality: that Diana had a limited number of days left. He knew the truth was looming, but a large part of him simply refused to accept this defeat.

"Don't pick at the food. Well, I can't say I'm sorry that there aren't any new monsters out there. Where did Diana go?"

"She's changing her clothes. Who's coming over today, all of Smallville?" Clark asked and gestured to the kitchen. Every surface was covered with platters and large trays of food.

Martha shrugged. "You've been away from home for too long. Don't you remember how these things went?"

"Yes, I do. You invite the whole congregation and only a few people show up- then it's leftovers for the rest of the week."

She swatted his arm. "It wasn't always like that. Anyway, it's not like you never ate the leftovers."

"What am I, a garbage disposal? You count on me to be there to clear out the kitchen."

"Are guests coming?" Diana asked as she came down the stairs. Like Clark, she had changed out of her clothes from the night before into more casual day attire. A new pair of dark jeans and a plain pink top was more than enough to make Clark's pulse quicken when he saw her.

"Yes, Ma's set up enough food to feed the whole state."

"Oh, listen to you. Diana, some friends from my church are coming and I'm sure they'd like to meet you, if you plan on sticking around." Martha said as she slipped a tray of cookies out of the oven.

Diana nodded. "Yes, I'd be happy to meet your friends."

"I'm glad to hear it. Later, you can help the disposal over there in clearing the leftovers."

Clark rolled his eyes and went off to find his father.

* * *

"So, you wanna talk about it?"

Clark glanced down at his father, twenty feet below on the barn floor. Again, Clark was sitting on the center beam, a perch he usually took when something was on his mind.

"When do I ever want to talk about it?"

John kicked at a stone on the floor. "Let me guess, then. The two of you went to the League to try getting her powers back and didn't have any luck. Is she stuck as one of us?"

The _us_ meaning humans- Clark wasn't human, but was there any point in splitting hairs when he was the very last of his kind?

He shifted on the beam but didn't drift down to the ground. John felt like he was trying to coax an affronted hawk. Clark cleared his throat. "It didn't go as we'd planned."

Understatement of the year- four magical heroes brought to their knees after attempting a reversal of Diana's curse.

John nodded. "I thought as much. We don't mind having her stay with us, Clark. We took in Kara after you had to go back to Metropolis, and we can take Diana in too."

"No."

_Finally, a reaction._

Clark dropped down to the floor. "Diana won't stay here alone because I'm not going back to Metropolis without her. She wants to stay here until..."

John raised a brow. "Until what?"

"Nothing. Just...this won't be like Kara. Diana and I will stay as long as we're welcome."

He nodded. "You'll never be unwelcome here, Clark. This is your home. What I want to know is, what's eating you?"

Clark sighed. "I said I didn't want to talk about it. This thing with Diana...I just don't know how it'll turn out, that's all. I don't know whether I should let myself get more attached or if I should give us space or what."

John tried to hide his smile. "Well, from what Diana told your mother, you two have already gotten pretty close."

"Pa, don't-"

"I'm just saying, you're already involved so what's stopping you from going steady on with it? We love her, you love her, so what more is there?" John asked.

Clark shook his head. "You're right, as usual."

"Of course I'm right. Enjoy the time you have or else you'll regret it. Trust me on that."

* * *

Diana was content to assist Martha in greeting her guests, all of whom were ladies who attended the Smallville temple of worship. She reminded herself to have Clark take her there the next time they were in town so that she could compare it to the temples on Themyscira.

Many of the women were Martha's age, though some were younger and seemed more interested in Diana. She could sense their eyes following her every movement.

Food and drinks were served and the women settled in a loose circle in the living room. "So, Martha, are you ever going to introduce your guest or are you going to keep her a secret?"

Martha laughed. "Well, now I know why you all came over today!"

Laughter traveled around them.

"This is Diana, she's a friend of Clark's from Metropolis." Martha explained easily.

"Oh, just a friend?"

Laughter again.

"Lynette, you gossip! What are you trying to imply?"

The other woman shook her head. "Oh, nothing, nothing. Just that this is the first friend Clark has ever brought home, and Diana is a little too pretty to be any man's friend."

Laughter flowed through the room. A younger woman with red hair nudged Diana. "Don't take it personally- they like you."

Diana raised her brows. "How can you tell?"

"I'm a native, trust me." She extended her hand. "Lana Lang, I've lived next door to the Kents forever."

Diana shook her hand and then recognized her from one of Clark's pictures. "Yes, Clark has said many wondrful things about you."

Lana snorted. "That's a surprise, considering how every time we meet up it's always ruined by some disaster."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Just that our schedules always end up conflicting. Still, you're lucky to have him." Lana said. Diana could sense her sincerity. "Clark's a great guy, always has been."

Diana stared down into her untouched cup of punch. "Yes, he is."

As the afternoon progressed, Diana realized that she'd made a friend. An occurrence that had transpired none too soon, as she would not see the end of the month.


	19. Chapter 19

"I like your girlfriend, Clark. How did you meet her?"

Clark looked up as Lana ascended the stairs to his hayloft. As the women had taken over the house, he and his father knew enough to stay away and let them have their space. He'd handled most of the chores on the farm and then gone to lounge on the sofa in the loft. He wasn't tired, but there had been nothing else to do and he hadn't felt like going into town for a beer with John. The sense that he should enjoy every moment with Diana that he could was hanging over him. He'd actually been expecting her to come find him, but Lana was still a pleasant surprise.

He stood up and hugged the petite woman. "Lana, how are you? I haven't seen you since..."

"My star model tried to kill me? Good times. Did you ever catch her?" Lana asked playfully.

Clark shook his head. "I'm afraid not, though Toyman has been captured. I think Darcy has earned the right to her own life so long as she stays out of trouble."

Lana shoved at him. "You're a born diplomat, Kent."

"I've seen your folks but I didn't expect to see you- what, no fashion shows in Milan or Paris?" He asked, teasing.

Lana moved further into the loft and sat on the desk in the corner. She took up the picture of them in their senior year of high school and she smiled. "God, we were such a cute couple. No, I've taken a step back from the limelight, though my lines are still top sellers among the fashionable elite. I'm not doing any shows this season but we're marketing to the upscale department stores. Am I boring you yet?"

Clark laughed. "No, but I'll be sure to pass the news on to Lois. She loves your line."

"And how about you? Your girlfriend was wearing bracelets from my spring jewelry line." Lana's smile grew bigger as Clark kept mum. "Come on, Clark, don't keep me in suspense! The whole town is curious, I miss that small-town need to know everyone's business. She's great, by the way, so nice and polite and pretty-"

Clark put up his hands. "All right, all right. Her name is Diana-"

"Diana Prince, I know. She's your special lady from Metropolis, but please, you know what I mean. Is she...you know, like you?"

Clark raised his brows. He had known Lana Lang all his life and though he had kept his origins a secret from her after he'd learned of his Kryptonian heritage, he'd grown to realize that he'd been wrong. Lana was nothing if she was not loyal. She had known about his feats as Superman for years before he'd finally told her. That she had kept his secret spoke to her intense sense of friendship. He knew that she would never willingly betray his secrets, no matter how big or small.

"You mean, was she brought here by a spaceship when she was an infant and became a hero after developing super abilities?" Clark asked dryly. "No...Diana is a little different from me."

"Different? How? Quit playing with me, Clark."

He smiled. "Diana is Wonder Woman. Satisfied?"

Lana's eyes grew large. "Wow, Clark, is she really? Jeez, you sure can pick 'em."

He raised a brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You like to zigzag in between us normal humans and your super-babes. First me, then that model you dated in college, then it was that reporter, now it's Wonder Woman." Lana said.

Clark shook his head and sat down on the sofa. "It's not like that. I've been friends with her since the League began, and things just took this turn. It's so new."

Lana smiled. "I like her for you. It's a good match. How long are you staying in Smallville?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm on vacation- go figure, I spend all my time jet-setting so in my downtime I come home to Kansas. I was just going to say, the fair is coming up pretty soon. You and Diana should stay long enough for that." Lana winked at him. "It's always fun to see you win the Strong-Man competition."

He nodded. "If it'll make you smile like that, then sure, we'll stick around for the fair."

* * *

"What happens at a county fair?"

Clark leaned back stretched slightly as Diana shifted beside him. It was hours after all of Martha's guests, Lana included, had departed from the Kent farm. Clark and Diana had retreated to the hayloft and were lazing on the long sofa. They were only resting, taking cat-naps and they had remained fully-clothed, more the pity, as far as Clark was concerned.

He cleared his throat and blew a few threads of Diana's hair away from his face. "Well, the fair is just an excuse for everyone to come out to town for the day- to play games and see some local art. Lana wants me to compete in a Strong-Man competition, and she'll be showing some jewelry from her new line."

"It sounds like it will be a wonderful day."

"It will be. We'll have a great time."

* * *

Days passed easily on the Kent farm. Diana was pleased to make herself useful to Martha and John around the house and in the orchard. Clark was able to take care of the more lengthy chores, leaving more time for the family to enjoy together.

They played card games, fished from a nearby lake, rode horses, and occasionally went into town.

Clark was happy to be Diana's guide through the more intricate details of Man's World, and even happier still that Diana returned his every affection. She had no hesitation in letting him know that she cared for him, and that if things were different...

Her curse was spreading like a slow, oily tide. Already the clay of her being had begun to resurface on other areas of her body. A large spot on the back of her left thigh, the tops of her feet, one side of her neck, the whole of her back and smaller spots were beginning to appear on her arms, small as freckles.

Diana had stopped mentioning the curse all together- Clark hated that she seemed to accept her fate without a fight. He knew she had stopped praying to Aphrodite to reverse the curse, he knew she was trying to embrace each new day, but Clark could see the signs of decline.

Diana's glow was gone- her face had taken on a slightly ashen appearance, as if she had been covered with a thin mist of dust. She moved slower than she had before, there was a slight strain around her mouth as if she was holding an inner pain in check. Clark didn't want to focus too greatly, but he had seen several locks of Diana's hair fall out on their last horse ride.

The dread that he would have to standby as a helpless witness while Diana was destroyed from the inside out was taking over Clark's mind. He was growing restless and paranoid for her, expecting Ares or Hades to rise up out of the earth at any moment to finish her off.

He tried to push such thoughts aside for the day. The Smallville fair had finally arrived, and he knew Diana was excited about it. She wanted to watch the community gather together and have some fun, she wanted to watch the games and taste the food.

"I've been looking forward to this, Clark. Your people are so kind, today should prove to be very entertaining."

Clark nodded as he watched her come down the stairs. She'd tied her hair into a scarf and chosen to wear a long-sleeved top with her jeans. She couldn't fool him, he knew she was trying to cover herself. He chose not to comment on it. He nodded. "Yeah, I think you're in for a real treat. Are you ready?"

"Oh, yes. Are John and Martha...?"

"They've already gone into town, we can meet up with them later on."

"Your mother made an extra special pie for a contest. She showed me the secret of her twice-baked crust." Diana informed him as she slipped into the truck beside him.

Clark smiled. Who knew Wonder Woman would have been so interested in domestic things? "She was telling me about it last night. I think she'll win this year."

Diana smiled and turned her eyes to the long road that would lead into the center of Smallville. She had surprised herself with how much she had come to love the Kents and their home. Not only was she made to feel welcome, Diana had felt that she'd found a second home to Themyscira- in a small farming town of Kansas, of all places!

Clark kept his fingers entwined with hers as he steered with his free hand. Diana stole a quick glance at him from the corner of her eye. He was such a calm man, and so good to everyone. He was generous and loyal. He had been shockingly ardent on the one night they'd shared together, something Diana had not known to expect. She had gone to him out of trust, and he had revealed to her a deep longing she'd never known herself capable of. She wanted to experience more of what they'd shared, but it seemed that it was not meant to be.

She was dying a slow, steady death. It could be said that she had begun to die the moment she'd stepped into Tartarus. There would be no more prayers, no begging her gods for mercy in lifting the curse. Diana knew she would die, but she chose not to waste her time with anger or bitterness.

She had lived for over a thousand years on Themyscira before entering Man's World and discovering a new side to life. That there were men, alien and human alike, who could overcome a past of cruelty and war to fight for justice. Over a thousand years old, and she still had so much to learn...well, her time was up, but Diana felt that she'd lived long enough. A new champion would rise as she fell.

She tightened her grip on Clark's hand and leaned against him. _'Yes, despite it all, I feel that my life has been complete.'_


	20. Chapter 20

* * *

They arrived in town within twenty minutes to find that the whole community had turned out. Clark parked and then he and Diana walked, hand in hand, stopping to buy a few strips of tickets for games. "Well, Lana wants to see me win the Strong-Man, but I bet that I can win you a few prizes before the day is done." Clark said with a smile.

Diana returned his smile and pointed to a game stall. "All right, could we try this one?"

Clark followed her to a game where the vendor gave him three balls meant to be thrown at moving targets. He raised a brow at Diana. "We've saved the world a few times, I think I can handle this."

"I'll believe that when I see it." Diana challenged.

Clark smiled and took one of the balls, then tossed it, aiming for a target. He missed. Diana smiled, but didn't say anything. Clark tossed a ball at a different target, and missed again.

He frowned, looking to Diana. "It's all part of my disguise- Clark Kent was never any good at sports..."

Diana shook her head. "Don't try to fool me. You're holding back your strength and in doing so, you're throwing at a slower speed, making you miss. Don't hold back."

Clark snorted. "If I didn't hold back and threw this ball with my real strength, the whole stall would be taken out. I'd rather just lose the game."

Diana moved forward and took the last ball from his hand. "Here, like this."

She threw the ball, striking a target head-on.

He stared at her, open-mouthed. He blinked, then smiled wide. "I knew there was a reason I liked you, Diana."

She smiled back at him as the stall attendant handed her a small stuffed bear as a prize.

* * *

Clark and Diana played several more games- all of which Clark had lost due to his own fumbling in trying to restrain his true strength. It was true what Diana had said: in keeping so hard a control over himself, he ended up with less accuracy.

He took her advice to loosen his control and trust himself not to destroy the whole of Smallville with the smallest slip of strength. He had told Darkseid that there were times when he felt as if he lived in a world of cardboard, and so he had learned to hold back- in dong so, he had become alternately over-careful and clumsy, leading more toward his 'Clark Kent the humble reporter' facade.

The facade worked, perhaps too well.

_'When Diana is gone, I may be a whole new Clark.'_

He realized that he was taking on Diana's acceptance of her fate, something he'd never thought he would do...but Clark knew that her curse was spreading. He knew that Diana was giving up without a fight and he knew that no spell and no prayer would have her gods lift the curse.

She had been right from the start: she would die at her gods' decree.

"Clark, what are those?"

He blinked at her voice, calling him out of his darker thoughts. Diana was pointing at a pair of children (Clark had gone to high school with their parents) eating brightly colored ice pops. "It's iced candy, do you want one? It is getting a little warm out."

"Oh, yes, I'd love to try one."

Clark quickly went to a cart and came back with two pops, one red and one blue. He gave her the choice of colors and smiled when she chose the red pop. Diana licked it and smiled. "It's so sweet and cold!"

"Glad you like it, it'll cool you down." He said off-handedly. He had noticed that her brow was becoming pearled with a bit of sweat, but already he could see the ice pop working it's magic on her.

Clark lead Diana further into the fair.

They sat in at the dog show and watched as a shepherd dog ran through an obstacle course, the dog was obviously having the time of its life showing off for the audience. They went to the next large tent and watched the stock show. The fair was a time for the whole community to relax and enjoy a day spent on fun, but a farmer's work was never done- the fair was a prime place to bid on livestock.

Clark and Diana had been raised in completely different worlds, of course, but there were slight similarities in their upbringing. For example, Clark would have been happy to learn that as he was silently appraising the cattle brought out for auction, Diana was doing the same thing.

Agriculture was an important part of Themyscira, and not even the princess was above learning all there was to know about the harvest seasons and what signs to look for in a cow that would give good meat.

Truly, Clark and Diana were more alike than they would ever know to admit.

* * *

After looking over the auction stock, Clark brought Diana around to the prize-winning animals, the community champion hogs, goats and horses. The animals were kept in little pens across the floor, giving the tent a petting-zoo effect that the town children seemed to appreciate. Little girls were crowded around the pen that kept the spring foals, while the boys were more interested in the large hogs.

Clark stepped up to the goat pen. "Pa has been looking for a few good goats for a while now."

"Is he expanding the farm? Oh, that brown one would give good milk and meat." Diana said, pointing to a tiny female. Clark looked the goat over. The kid was too young for such a judgement, barely a year old.

"How can you tell? She's too young."

Diana shook her head. "We've kept goats on Themyscira for centuries. With enough nurturing, the runts will surprise you and provide the best."

"Is that so, Princess?"

"Yes it is, Kal-El. Do not make the mistake of assuming that I was a coddled girl- I sweated over the land with my sisters and I might wager to say that I know more about agriculture than you."

Clark straightened to his full height and faced her challenge. "Could you repeat that? I don't think I heard you."

Diana flashed her eyes at him. "I said, I have several centuries' worth of experience on you, Clark. I was hunting game and appraising livestock before your parents' ancestors even discovered this continent."

"Oh really? Is that why you're letting that goat chew on your shirt?"

Diana glanced down to see that a gray goat with long curled horns had stretched his neck over the rail of his pen and was chewing on the hem of her shirt. She stepped out of the goat's reach and frowned.

"It seems that Man's World has a way of making a fool of me." She said, chagrined.

Clark laughed and hugged her. "No, it just wants you to learn to laugh at yourself, that's all."

Diana couldn't fight her smile at what had happened. She tried to boast of her superior knowledge and ended up with egg on her face. She did need to learn humility, but hadn't she been humbled in Tartarus?

She shook off the thought and followed Clark as he went to the pen with the foals. Several little girls were crowded around the pen, wanting to pet the young horses and ponies. "Excuse me, ladies, I'm here on official farm business." He said as he moved to the pen rail to look at the display papers for the animals.

Clark glanced over to Diana. "Two of these foals are from the Lang farm. The black and the spotted brown."

Diana raised her brows at the news. She had met Lana at Martha's after-church social and had liked her immediately. Lana was warm and genuine, she had been funny and clear in her loyal intentions. On learning that Lana had once been involved with Clark, Diana had felt no jealousy and sensed no bitterness from Lana.

In Diana's way of thinking, Lana was a sister to her both as a woman and as a friend to Clark. If ever Diana had met a human woman who represented Amazon ideals...

"Clark? Oh, Diana!"

Diana turned and found herself facing Lana. "Lana, I was just thinking about you."

Lana winked at Diana and smiled. "All good things, I hope."

"Oh, of course."

Lana stepped forward and looped her arm through Diana's and headed over to Clark. "How are my babies looking?" She asked, meaning the foals.

Clark crossed his arms and nodded. "They both look fantastic. All I can say is, well done, Lana."

She flipped her hair and pointed to the black foal, the taller of the two. "That one's my favorite, I named him Charlie. Isn't he cute?"

Diana nodded. "I rode a black horse at home."

"Oh, they have horses on They-mascara?" Lana asked. Luckily, the crowd of children had dispersed, and no other townspeople were within earshot to hear the question.

Diana pulled from Lana's friendly hold. "How did-?"

"I told her, Diana. You can trust her, believe me, I have for years." Clark cut in quickly. He knew he should have told Diana that he had revealed her identity to Lana, but for whatever reason he had not.

Lana nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, I'm not one to tell secrets."

Diana searched their gazes, again feeling foolish. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I should bother hiding who I really am. There will be no point to keeping that secret much longer."

Lana let out a breath and moved on, not catching the dark look that passed over Clark's face at Diana's comment. "Oh, you're not mad? Good, I promise, I would never tell anything if I could help it. But I would like to learn more about you. I mean, what's it like on your island?"

Diana smiled softly, happy to speak of her home.

"It's a small paradise. There are over one thousand of us Amazons, and we all are souls risen by the Olympic goddesses and granted a new life to regain pure spirits. Even me, to a certain extent. I was created to be an ambassador of peace from Themyscira to the outside world, though when I left it was not under the proper ritual. In a way, I ran away from home to join the Justice League." Diana said with a small laugh.

Lana walked beside Diana, listening with rapt attention. Clark had the feeling that the women would be talking for awhile and decided to give them a little time alone. Besides, he had learned of Diana's origins already. The man stepped away as the women took a seat at a picnic table under the shade of a tree.

Lana watched Clark as he walked off. "Some men can't handle girl talk. He's always been like that."

Diana smiled wryly. "I wouldn't know. I've thought of him as just a teammate and friend for so long, I never really took the time to get to know him personally until recently. It's all been such a waste, I can see that now."

"You mean before, you two were never...?"

"No. Men are...they are still foreign to me. You must understand, I've spent over a thousand years without ever having seen a real man before." Diana confided.

Green eyes widened at the statement. "Oh my God, you've been without men for that long? You must have gone crazy when you came into our world."

"It was a little unnerving at first. I wasn't sure what to make of the men I met- the Flash, and Batman in particular- but I knew that if we combined our powers, we could defeat the alien enemy. At the time, that was all that mattered to me. It was only after we formed the League that I gave in to curiosity and began to explore this new world."

Lana smiled. Diana was so open, it was refreshing. "And what did you think of our world when you found the time to get to know it?"

"Nothing too flattering."

They shared a laugh at this admission.

"I thought that most of the men were arrogant, rude and untrustworthy. I thought the women had all been brainwashed by the male-dominated culture into making themselves conform to some fantasy that men carried of women. But, I've had time to see that it is not all like that. I knew the men in the League were good men, and they could not be the only good men- there had to be more, and I've found them. I've also found good women. Before you found us in the animal tent, Lana, I was thinking about you. I thought that you would have made a wonderful Amazon." Diana said, and put her hand over Lana's on the table.

A look of uncertainty passed over Lana's face, and she withdrew her hand. "I...thank you for the offer, I'm flattered, but I'm straight."

"What?"

"I couldn't live forever with just women, I love men too much to cut them from my lives." Lana said, hinting.

Realization dawned on Diana. "Oh! I see, I see what you are saying. No, Lana. There are many Amazons who live the Sappho way, but it is not all of us."

"So you weren't...?"

Diana shook her head. "No. Well, not strictly speaking. I mean, there were a few times when Artemis and I were on the shore and we-"

"Ladies, I hope you're hungry." Clark said, thankfully cutting Diana's story short. He'd been dying to hear more details, but he had heard enough to fuel his fantasies for the night, and there was no need to let her reveal everything.

He set down a tray he'd loaded from a buffet- thick slices of watermelon, buttery corn on the cob, iced yellow cake and a hot plate of fried chicken. He sat down beside Diana on the wooden bench and they began to eat.

* * *

"There you are, son, we haven't seen you all day."

John approached the table that Clark, Diana and Lana had been sharing for the past hour. Lana waved at his parents. "We've been having a little too much fun, Mr. Kent."

Martha smiled. It made her feel proud of her age that she could look at her son, this wonderful man, and Lana, who she had known since she was a toddler, and see the vivacious young woman she'd become. Diana sat beside her son, smiling, but still diminished.

Clark had not been the only one to notice Diana's worsening condition.

"Well, we've been having a little fun of our own." Martha said, and drew out her new blue ribbon.

"Your pie won the contest?! Martha, that's wonderful!" Diana exclaimed.

"And that's not all- my recipe will be printed in the Smallville newspaper. Not the whole thing, though. I'll leave out a few details, just my special touches. I don't want the whole town copying me."

Diana smiled as Clark rose to hug his mother and then joke with his father. She felt content, happy to have been invited to the fair and happy to know these wonderful people. Just then, her stomach clenched, hard and painful.

The reminder of her dwindling time left. She closed her eyes for a moment, willing the pain away.

When she opened them, Clark was beside her again. "Are you all right?" He asked. His eyes were deeply concerned and his hand was on her shoulder. She couldn't feel it.

Lana and Clark's parents were thankfully talking and hadn't noticed Diana's moment of pained weakness or Clark's immediate concern. She was grateful that they hadn't noticed, she didn't want to ruin their day.

She shook her head. "I'm fine, Clark. Just fine. Don't worry about me."

He sighed. "You know I can't do that. I care too much not to worry."

"I wish you didn't. It would be easier for you when-"

"Don't, Diana. Please, don't talk about that. I can't even think about it."

Diana felt tears well in her eyes as she put her hand over his, showing him.

The curse had spread again, leaving her entire right arm as living clay.


	21. Chapter 21

Clark made quick excuses to his parents and Lana, and no one objected when he told them that he and Diana were heading back to the farm earlier than expected. Just by glancing at the noticeably paler woman, the Kents knew that Diana would be better off once she rested. It was late afternoon- maybe the heat was getting to her, or all the excitement...

They weren't completely clear on what was happening to their guest, Clark had still not explained her curse, but they had enough wisdom to know for themselves that Diana was not getting better. Still, they did not press their son for information, they only let him take Diana home, and hoped that he would make things clear to them in his own time.

Lana watched with some regret as the couple made their way back to the truck. She had hoped to spend a little more time with Diana, but she understood that something was gravely amiss.

Diana settled into the passenger seat of the truck and stared vacantly out the window as Clark headed away from the center of Smallville and back toward the farm. His hand rested over hers, the only hand she had with any feeling or humanity left within it. The other was living clay, she could barely flex her fingers.

Diana glanced at the man beside her. He was talking, likely trying to reassure her, but Diana couldn't hear him. The knowledge of the curse was too heavy on her mind, drowning out the rest of the world. She knew of this curse too well. It was why she had given up any hope of reversing it through prayers to her Olympic gods or using the magic resources of the League.

It wouldn't be long now. She had another day left, maybe two. After that, the curse would overcome her, and Diana would crumble back into the earth from which she'd been made.

* * *

The ride back to the Kent farm had been silent, and once Clark parked the tuck, he'd moved to assist Diana out of the vehicle. He opened the door and gently took her hand to steady her. She stood with him in the driveway, silently. Clark stared down at her, emotion clear in his gaze.

_I don't want you to die_, his eyes told her. _We've only just begun, it can't end this way- so suddenly_. _If I could take your place, I'd do it in a heartbeat! Don't give up, Diana, fight it!_

She kissed him then, long and deep. The kiss was soulful, full of her sorrow and resignation. "I can't fight it, Clark." She said out loud, answering his silent plea.

Clark held her against him in a fierce embrace. "We can try to reverse it again, we could-"

"Clark. It is over for me. Please, you can't save me."

Her words hurt him deeply, all the more because he knew she was telling him the truth.

* * *

Clark paced the barn hayloft, waiting for Diana to join him. He had stripped down to his usual night attire of a pair of loose cotton pants, leaving his chest bare. His feet were bare as well, and he felt every loose straw and grain of dirt as he circled the barn floor.

Diana was somewhere in the main house still, likely changing her clothes as she'd told him she wanted to do it alone. Clark was no fool- he knew she didn't want to undress in front of him because of the patches of her body that had already reverted to clay.

He wouldn't have been disgusted or put off in any way, but he understood Diana's wish to be alone as she assessed the damage. Thanks to countless villains who wielded Kryptonite or magic, Clark had his own share of war wounds on display. Absently, he ran his fingertips over a thin scar on his waist, a keepsake from his first fight with Metallo.

What was keeping Diana?

* * *

"Please, try to understand. I don't have much time left. It will be easier for him if he's not alone when it happens."

"You think it'll be any easier for the rest of us?"

"I think it will be better for you all to be together."

"Without you, we're not whole. You do realize that, don't you?"

Diana was silent. Then, "There will be another after me. You won't be missing me for long."

"Would you stop being so damn accepting of this?! Stop thinking of us, _of him_, and how you can make it easier for us. Now would be a perfect time for you to be selfish, to be afraid. Why can't you just act _human_ for once?!"

She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, staring at her naked reflection. What skin hadn't already succumbed to the expanding curse was gray in color, leaving her with the appearance of a dead woman. A walking dead, much like Soloman Grundy. Diana shuddered slightly at the memory of the man brought back from death, only to die again by Shayera's mace.

Diana took a breath, slightly fixated on the thin cracks in her clayed chest that expanded as she spoke. She understood his frustration with her- she was sure Clark felt the same way, though he hadn't reached his breaking point.

Diana thought on his question. "Because I am not human, Bruce. That's more clear to me now than ever before. I think...please, have them here tomorrow."

In Gotham, Bruce had been striding up and down the length of his manor's landing, frustrated, angry with Diana for her complacency. How dare she not fight this curse? How dare she give up so easily and only think of comforting her friends who would live on after the curse took her?!

What would happen to the League without Wonder Woman? Diana had provided a sense of balance; she and Shayera had been the only women in the original standing League, true, but they had been more than a match for so much male bravado. They _needed_ her.

He paused on the other end of the line. "That soon?"

"I believe so. Yes. Please, promise me."

The man sighed. "I promise."

She smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

After slipping into her plain red chemise, Diana added a robe as a touch of extra protection. She knew that if Clark truly wanted to see her, all he had to do was focus his eyes and look through her clothes. Shrugging to herself, Diana padded out to the barn where she knew he was waiting for her.

He stood, leaning against a stall, arms crossed over his chest. Clark didn't want to talk about the curse, he wanted to have more nights with her- time to hold her, time to talk and tease. He knew that for the first time in over a thousand years, time was no longer on Diana's side.

There was no more fight in Diana, and Clark couldn't fight this battle for her. It torn him apart, but all he could do now was offer her every comfort.

Diana came forward, moving effortlessly into the circle of his arms. Clark made the effort not to hold on to her too tightly. She was delicate now.

"Did you have fun at the fair?" He asked, still holding her.

"Yes. I wish that I had learned of your culture earlier, when we had first formed the League. I would have formed a higher opinion of Man's World from the start. I'm sorry that you had to leave so early. I know you would have liked to have stayed." Diana couldn't help herself- he was so warm, she had to nuzzle in closer.

Clark shook his head. "It's all right. There will be other fairs." He kicked himself for letting that slip. "I mean- well..."

"Don't second-guess yourself, Clark. There will be other fairs for you. Perhaps next year you should take Lana. I like her. If she had some sort of power, she would make a wonderful addition to the League."

Clark had to laugh at the thought. "I think she would be more interested in designing a new hero's costume than wearing one. She told me that she's kept an eye on what we do and has decided that she's happy being a plain old human. Apparently the never ending battle isn't for her."

Diana shook her head. "It's not for most of us. I came to your world to set an example to be followed, to try forging a change for peace, not to fight a new villain every week."

"Well, it is what it is. We invited the world's villains to come out of the woodwork when we put on our costumes."

"Mmm. They have obliged us often enough. Perhaps that's why this is happening." Diana mused, more to herself than to him.

Clark pulled back to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"Oh. I was only thinking that this may be my reward, the peace of oblivion after years of battle. It could be. I suppose that I'll learn the truth soon enough."

Clark didn't know what to say. He only held her tighter.


	22. Chapter 22

Diana woke with the dawn, her eyes taking in the familiar sight and scent of the barn hayloft. Clark was beside her on the large sofa that they had chosen to sleep upon for the past several nights. His body was molded to her own, which might have made her uncomfortably warm if she'd been more herself...but Diana wasn't bothered by his heat. She couldn't feel the heat from Clark's body, nor could she feel any thrill at his hand, curled as it was, possessively over her waist.

The woman rose to sit up, being careful not to wake him. He had been nothing but good to her, let the man sleep.

Diana stood, her every movement slow and controlled. She could feel her end coming, a cloud hovering over her head. Anything could happen now if she should move too sharply.

It had been centuries ago now, when another Amazon had offended their gods and been cursed in much the same way. Diana had only been a girl then, perhaps on the cusp of her nineteenth year, when Arcethia had affronted Poseidon by killing a siren. The retribution from Olympus had been swift. Diana had watched her sister revert to clay and shatter within the space of a week.

She looked ahead, to the rising sun._A week for Arcethia. Nearly four weeks for me. It doesn't matter- my end is nigh._

Diana carefully stepped to the great open window of the barn and looked out over the farm as the sun rose on the horizon. The Kents had a beautiful home, truly. It was not the mystical and exotic beauty of Themyscira, nor was it the old wealth of Wayne Manor or the splendor of the long-dead Martian world.

It was the people who had worked the land and held on to the ideals of human hospitality that made the Kent house so welcoming and warm. Those wonderful people who had found the infant from another world and made him their own, raising him to be the best of men.

Diana glanced back to see that Clark was still sleeping. She smiled. _Yes- the very best of men._

The twisting knot of pain she'd felt in her abdomen returned again, and Diana winced. She closed her eyes as she doubled over with it. She grit her teeth and didn't allow herself to scream- the pain was intense, but she was still able to remove herself from it, much in the same was as she had escaped the wrath of Ares while she'd been in Tartarus.

The pain dispersed, slower and slower. It took longer for her reserves of mental energy to combat the pain each time; she knew that by the end of the day, she would finally succumb to it.

The woman sighed lightly and straightened her back to stand tall. She wanted Clark to sleep. She didn't want him to wake and see her weak again.

Diana glanced back at the house and decided that it was time to dress herself. She didn't want Clark to see her in the stark light of day.

* * *

"I haven't see either one of them all morning, probably sleeping in, and why not? Clark's done all the chores and it's a Saturday, so I think it's best if we-"

John dropped his coffee mug on the kitchen floor at the sight of Diana coming in from outside. Martha, who had been sitting with him at the table, turned to see what had so shocked her husband. Oh seeing her, Martha gasped, her eyes instantly assaulted by the sting of tears.

Diana slowly stepped into the house, raising her face to the light of the room. Her every movement seemed a struggle- the feline grace of an Amazon warrior had been robbed. Her skin was a pale gray, parched and cracked. Martha brought her hand to her mouth as she took in the extent of the woman's appearance. Hairline cracks were spider-webbed across Diana's face; the leeched pigmentation crept down the woman's neck and chest, disappearing beneath the material of her chemise. In short, this woman seemed to Martha's eyes as a living statue only moments away from shattering apart.

"Oh, God, Diana!"

"All right, I think it's time the two of you told us what's going on." John said as he stood up from the table. He'd recovered from the shock of seeing Diana, and now he wanted answers. Now he wanted to know what he could do to help, what he could do to stop this horrible thing from happening.

Diana, for her part, hadn't expected to see the Kents until later that morning. Somehow, she had forgotten them. Her mind was filled with thoughts of making a graceful acceptance of her death. But the Kents deserved to know. She stood still and opened her mouth to explain, but all that came out was a strangled groan. Her eyes widened- _My voice!_

Martha quickly brought her a glass of water, which Diana gratefully gulped down. She coughed hard, but after several minutes she was finally able to explain herself. "I've been cursed. Please, I need to change, I can't let Clark see me like this."

John raised his brows, taking in Diana's clayed skin, exposed as it was in her chemise. "I think clothes are the least of your problems- Diana, what's happened to you?"

"I've been…it's a curse. I'll let Clark explain things to you. I don't have much time left. I must change now." Diana said hurriedly. The last thing she wanted was to be rude to these wonderful people who had done so much for her, but she was running out of time and they would not be alone much longer.

The League was on its way.

* * *

Diana slipped a pair of jeans and a long cardigan over her deteriorating body. The more of herself that she kept covered, the better. It wasn't shame or pride or a need to prove herself that drove her now.

Her every action was born from love.

The love Diana had for life. The love she had for her friends. The love she had for Clark.

* * *

Clark awoke to a pillow landing squarely on his face. Startled, he jerked awake to find his parents looking down on him, both stone-faced. "What's going-"

"We'll be asking the questions here, Clark. Tell us what's wrong with Diana." His father interrupted. John stood over him with his arms crossed.

The man understood Clark's penchant for trying to guard them from the harsher realities of his life as Superman, but John didn't like being left in the dark in his own home. Besides, he was a man that had gone to war, brought up the farm and their family and held a leadership role in Smallville- John was a strong man and didn't need anything sugar-coated.

Clark stood up, realizing that he was alone on the sofa. "Where's Diana?"

"She's inside, changing. We saw her, Clark. You need to tell us what's happening to her right now." Martha stood her ground to block his path when Clark moved forward, intent for the stairs. All the power in the world, and Clark wouldn't dare lay a finger on his mother.

Clark looked down, knowing he was trapped. He sighed; somehow, he felt that if he spoke the words out loud, he was betraying his last desperate shred of hope. "Diana was cursed by Ares and Aphrodite. The curse is set to reverse her- she's turning back into clay and there's no way to stop it."

The words were torn from him, forcing him to admit his helplessness.

Martha brought her hands to her mouth. "No way to stop it- but you're _Superman_, you've stopped the world ending I don't know how many times, and-"

"This is beyond me, Ma. Diana's already prayed and we've already tried to break the curse with the League but nothing's worked. Diana's given up, she said that she's seen it happen before."

John stood, not knowing if anything he said would bring comfort to his son. What could he say to the man who was destined to watch, helpless, as Diana fell apart? There was nothing he could say, nothing he could ever do…

"I don't know why this- do you hear that?"

The Kents frowned at Clark. He should have known better by now than to ask if anyone else could hear the things that he could.

"What is it, Clark?"

"It sounds like a helicopter headed this way, coming in low…from the east- look!" Clark pointed toward the sprawling hillside of the farm, where a private helicopter had just cleared and was heading in fast.

Clark and his parents stood in the open hayloft window, watching with interest as the copter maneuvered a landing in the center of the field outside the barn.

The man inside needed no introduction, as the decal for **Wayne Enterprises** painted on the tail of the helicopter announced his identity. Bruce powered down the engines and stepped out, planting his feet on sweet Kansas soil for the first time in his life.

Clark eased out of the barn window and drifted to Bruce as his parents took the stairs down from the hayloft. Bruce turned and smiled, all trace of the stern Batman thankfully tucked away. After their last encounter on the WatchTower, Clark didn't think he could take another round of Bruce's angry blame.

"Bruce, what brings you to Smallville?"

"A mutual friend." He said easily. Bruce turned to Clark's approaching parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Kent, it's great to finally meet you." He extended his hand to them both, and even went so far as to kiss the top of Martha's palm.

Clark rolled his eyes as his mother blushed. _He's really stepping up his playboy game this morning. _

"And this friend of ours wouldn't happen to wear a tiara, would she?" Clark asked.

Bruce shook his head. "Not lately. I heard she lost it in a scuffle down under. But yes, Diana called me last night. Don't pretend that you don't know why." Bruce said blandly.

Clark scowled.

Sensing the new tension, Martha spoke up. "Well, um, Clark, Mr. Kent, why don't you both come in for some breakfast?"

Bruce smiled easily. "No need to bother yourself over me, Mrs. Kent, I'll only trouble you for some coffee."

"Me too! I'll take 30 sugars in mine, ma'am."

The group turned at the sudden appearance of a young man with red hair and a light dusting of freckles across the bridge of his nose. Dressed as his was in a plain green tee topped with a leather jacket and jeans, Clark almost didn't recognize Wally. The Flash was so rarely seen outside of his costume, it was bizarre that he had crossed the country in his mall clothes. He was about as secretive about his private identity as Bruce.

Bruce arched a perfect eyebrow at the younger man. "Only 30 sugars?"

Wally shrugged. "I'm on a diet."

Dryly, Bruce rolled his eyes. "You should work out more, I try to go jogging a few times a week."

"I'll keep that in mind."

John glanced at Martha, feeling slightly puzzled. "Am I missing something here?"

Beside him, she shrugged. "I think Diana's invited a few friends over to visit with Clark."

"I didn't know that Clark was friends with Bruce Wayne, and this other kid…?"

Martha threw up her hands. "I'm sure they're harmless, and I'm sure more are on the way. It's all right, I was going to make a big breakfast today anyway." She said as she headed toward the house. John glanced back at the three men and then followed his wife back inside.

Wally looked around them, at the barn, the house, the acres of crops and animals. A hen had come forward and pecked at the hem of his jeans. "I gotta tell you, Supes, I never really could picture you on a farm."

Clark glanced around the farm, trying to see it through Wally's eyes. "It must be different for you two city-kids to breath a little fresh air and see some open sky."

Wally shrugged. "I didn't say I didn't like it. I do. It's just weird- the Man of Steel picks cotton and milks cows."

"And finds any excuse he can to have his shirt off. Not the best way to greet your guests, is it, Kent?" Bruce asked, a sardonic tone coloring his words.

Clark shook his head. "If I knew we were expecting guests, I would have woken up in time to change. Come on inside, I won't inflict the sight of my perfection on you for much longer."

The banter between Bruce and Clark was telling of their silent resolution not to fight while they were together for the day. It was Diana who had asked Bruce to assemble the founding members of the League, though Clark was unclear of her intentions.

Did she feel her end coming? Did she somehow know that she wouldn't last the day?

Had she asked Bruce to bring the League to support Clark or did she want to say goodbye to her friends?

Perhaps Diana's intent was a mixture of all those things. None of it gave any comfort to Clark.


	23. Chapter 23

The rising heat lifted through her wings, aiding her soar through the clouds that clustered above Smallville, Kansas. Shayera's keen eyes were a treasured gift of her Thanagarian heritage, and they came in handy now as she circled high above the small town, too high up to be seen by the people below. She watched them as they bustled about, busy, always so busy.

She flies more often than anyone in the League. She isn't like the rest of them, just flying for battle or transportation, though no one, _no one_, in the League owned an aerial fight the way that she did. No, Shayera flew because it was entirely natural to her, as second to her nature as breathing or making love. She flew because her body was one with the sky. Because flying was an act that gave her the most supreme joy.

Shayera flew alone most of the time, the better so that she could clear her mind and consider the possibilities for her future. If she even had a future with John, or any other man for that matter. The subject of men was one that was rarely discussed- so little time for gossip when the world was always under attack.

Shayera had never expected Diana to become involved with a man. Diana, princess to a race of immortal women? Diana, who was once so ignorant of the world? Who had only come into contact with men in the last five years?

Anyone who heard the story of the Amazons instantly jumped to the easy conclusion: Themyscira was home to several thousand immortal lesbians. It was an easy mistake to make. Of course, Shayera wasn't privy to the deeper meanings and spiritual journeys that took place on the island- a very privileged few had been let in on Amazonian secrets.

The thought of Diana smitten- and with Superman, no less!- brought a strange smile to Shayera's face. To her, Diana was still something of a girl, and if what Bruce had told her was true, then that image of Diana in Shayera's mind would stay intact. Diana would remain as the woman-child that Shayera had known, for there would be no time to watch her friend grow and change as she assimilated further into the world.

If what Bruce had told her was true, then Diana may draw her last breath by the end of the day.

Shayera shook her head, trying to dispel the sudden tears that swept into her eyes. No. This was Diana's day, maybe her very last day. Shayera could cry for her when it was over, but not before.

With that thought, she flapped hard, once, twice. She tilted her wings, aligned her guiding feathers, and as the town faded away in favor of long rows of crops and the farmhouses peppering wide Kansas fields, Shayera dropped beneath the clouds, no longer concerned with being spotted.

The Kent farm was coming into sight, she recognized Bruce's private chopper beside a large barn.

Her wings flared, allowing her to glide in low. She landed easily in the back of the farmhouse, away from any prying eyes that might have been near the driveway or the main road.

Shayera didn't know why she bothered to worry about being seen- it wasn't as if she had a secret identity to protect.

But then again, the only thing worth protecting was a friend, and there was no need for the curious eyes of humankind to light upon a fallen Wonder Woman.

* * *

"Is it strange that I'm more surprised at the sight of an angel than I am at the sight of a Martian?" Martha asked the room as she lead Shayera into the living room.

The League was assembled: Wally was sitting casually on the window bench; Bruce was sitting on the sofa, feining polite reserve; J'onn was standing beside the fireplace; John was leaning against the wall, his arms were crossed and his eyes were tightly focused on the floor; and Clark was sitting on the other end of the sofa with Bruce.

Shayera could hardly recognize her comrades out of their costumes, with the exception of J'onn. She raised a brow at Martha's comment. She was far from an angel, though she had used that trick in Tartarus.

"I'm not an angel, ma'am. Just your average Thanagarian. I'm sorry I startled you."

Martha shook her head. She had been outside and ran into Shayera as she'd landed in the yard. For a hard moment, Martha had thought her time had come. It was strangely relieving to know Shayera wasn't an angel set to guide her to heaven, but just another alien friend of Clark's. "No, dear, I should be used to strange sights around here by now. Have a seat, I'll bring you a cup of coffee."

Martha stepped out of the room, leaving what remained of the League to talk. Shayera turned back to them, feeling the sudden awareness of being the only woman left on the team. She missed Diana already, and her heart sank low in her chest. Would this be what it would be like? They would carry on, always missing their fallen member, and never truly complete again?

There were plenty of other heroes in the League now, but the world would feel the absence of Wonder Woman. Shayera already did.

"So where is she?" She asked them.

Wally lifted his hands. "She hasn't come down yet, we haven't seen her."

She turned to Clark. "Superman?"

She felt strange calling him by that name when he wasn't in the costume. This gentle giant, Clark Kent, was Earth's greatest hero? It wasn't right. He was only a man.

Clark lifted his eyes to the ceiling. "I…she's in her room. Excuse me. I think she needs a little help."

He was quick to step out of the room and head upstairs, leaving a greater gulf of silence in his wake. Shayera turned to the others. "How bad is it?"

"Diana is dying. I can feel it. Her mind is fading."

J'onn's easy way of delivering harsh truths was not welcome. His words had a finality to them, an immutability that they could not escape.

"Don't say that." Wally spoke up. "I mean, yeah, things are looking down now, but nothing's set in stone. There's gotta be some kind of last-minute rescue here."

John glanced up. He'd been staring at his feet this whole time, barely even noticing when Shayera arrived. "They've already tried to use magic. Diana didn't think it was worth risking the other heroes' lives to-"

"It can't end this way." Wally snapped out harshly, startling the room. His eyes widened, surprised at his own delivery. "I mean, it's not supposed to be this way…not for her…"

John shook his head, uncrossing his arms and balling his fists. He stared at his ring. All that power and nothing he could do with it. He knew Clark was feeling the same way, it was horrible. Green energy was coursing through him, but all the emeralds in the galaxy wouldn't make any difference to Diana's gods. He knew. He hadn't told the others, but he had already gone to the Guardians to see if they knew of any way to negotiate with Olympus.

They couldn't help his friend, the rookie in the tiara.

Bruce sighed lightly to himself, trying to remain with a clear head in the midst of so much tension. He didn't want to be there. Death was a thing that Batman had dealt with since the first night he'd taken to the streets of Gotham. But this…Diana had called on him to watch her die, to say his last peace to her, to say goodbye.

It would mean confronting the greatest fear he'd carried, the one thing he'd so desperately wanted to avoid. He had been reluctant to fully join the League for just this reason.

He hadn't believed in Clark's death- there had been reason enough to doubt what the world had seen that night. But this wasn't an idiot with a fetish like Toyman coming to kill Diana. This was the work of her own deities, watching her squirm from their thrones of power in the clouds.

Bruce didn't know if he would have the strength to say goodbye. It wasn't fair.

The room tensed at the sound of creaking stairs. "…easy…we'll go slower…"

They watched as Clark eased Diana down from the last step. She had nearly managed to cover herself from head to toe. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a long sweater, with a headscarf neatly tied over what remained of her hair.

Still, her face was exposed. Every gray, parched, cracked inch of it. Her skin was leeched of color, even her eyes seemed to have been drained, leaving them as pale slate ghosts of their former vitality.

J'onn was not an emotional being. Since the destruction of his race, he had become numb, which he knew sometimes lent him an unfeeling persona. He never meant to be callous, it was only that if he expressed himself in his native tongue, no one would understand him. But now...

His Martian heart cried out at the sight of Diana in such a defeated, diminished state. It was as if all life had been wiped away, leaving behind this frail, colorless _thing _in her place. Instinctively and at once, his mind leapt forward to connect with hers, but there was almost nothing left of her to seek out. Yes. She was dying, his friend was fading away.

A deep, crushing wave of sorrow broke within him, but J'onn had no way to express it. He was alone in the world. There was no other Martian there to connect with him and share his pain.

So, he could only stand and watch, silently, as the rest of the League reacted to the sight of her.

Wally stood, perhaps too quickly, for he immediately sat down again. A strangled cry escaped his throat, though he cut it short. He seemed to be trying to recover his composure, but J'onn knew that their Flash would not be himself today.

Bruce had stood as well, his own face showing a degree of disbelief tinged with a horrified fascination. _This can't be my Diana. What happened to her? Where is she?_

John was staring at her, his eyes wide and his mouth twisted, unsure, uncertain what to do or say. Even before being chosen as the Lantern, he had seen things in his time with the Marines. Still, nothing could quite prepare a man for what he was destined to see in this life.

Finally, there was Shayera. Diana's strained bond of sisterhood. A clawed talon had just cut across her heart at the sight of her friend. She felt her stomach knot and, like Wally, she had to stifle a cry for Diana. So it was true. This would be Diana's last day, and from the looks of things, Diana might not even last through the sunset.

How had things gone so wrong so fast?

When every hero and every villain on earth had joined together and defeated the most powerful force in the universe? It hadn't been more than a month since Darkseid had died. There had been a fragile peace since then- all sense of violence had been exhausted. International wars had been suspended as every country effected from the attack needed time to rebuild and recuperate. There had been no new attacks. No battles. Not even so much as a bank robbery.

But this…

Shayera tore her eyes away from Diana, ashamed of herself for having stared at her friend. It wasn't helping and it wasn't respectful.

Somehow, she found her voice. "Diana. How are you feeling?"

The pale grey eyes found hers. When she spoke, her voice was rough, gravelly. "I'm in no pain, Shayera. I assure you."

"That's…I'm glad. I'm glad that it's no hurting you."

Clark couldn't say anything. He felt so useless. Diana moved slowly to a chair, and Clark left the house, feeling the need for some fresh air. It was Diana who had wanted them to come to Smallville.

He let her explain herself to them. He couldn't be there for it.

* * *

"I asked Bruce to invite you here today for a reason, and I think you all know what that is."

"You've given up."

Diana turned to J'onn. "I haven't given up. I've accepted my fate. You must understand- I was created by the gods, my fate was always tied to them. I can't fight my way free of this curse, and none of you could have done anything to save me. Please, don't blame yourselves for this."

Bruce inwardly scowled. He felt that her last comment was secretly directed at him. Perhaps Diana knew him too well: since leaving the WatchTower, he had been studying Greek mythology and legends, searching for some overlooked detail that could have been used to help her. When he'd found nothing, he had reflexively berated himself.

"What can we do for you?"

The question was asked by Wally. The man's voice was somber, his entire being seemed sluggish now, weighed down by this new sorrow. It was easy for the rest of them to forget that Wally was still a young man, and had not had much experience with death. Diana moved to him and cupped his cheek in her hand.

In death, her heart was bulging with love for them, the first people she'd met in the outside world.

"You can live for me, Wally." She turned to the rest of them. "All of you, just live. When it's over, Clark will need you. You know how close we've come in the last few weeks. I've made peace with my ending, but Clark will need his friends to guide him through this. You know him. He does not take loss easily."

There was a subtle glance at Bruce again.

Wally stood up. "Where did Supes go, anyway?"

John jutted a thumb in the direction of the kitchen. "He's either in with his parents or he's taken off for a while. I can't blame him if he did. This is getting a little heavy."

Shayera understood what John meant. All of them were prepared to give their lives for the greater good but none of them knew how to deal with the reality of it, especially in regard to a member they'd considered beyond the reach of death. "Diana, do you want me to go find him?"

Diana shook her head. "No, it's all right. He'll be back before...he's angry, you know."

Bruce looked up. "Clark's angry?"

"Yes. He's angry that I've accepted this. I think he believes that I could stop this somehow, if only I would resist the curse. He has to learn, Bruce, that most things are beyond our control." The wisdom in Diana's words was tragic.

The group wanted to rail against her, force her to fight, to _make her want to live_.

But there was nothing for it. They shared Clark's frustration at being held useless, the anger at Diana for being so accepting of her fate. If only there was something they could do, some tangible foe that they could join together to defeat...

No. There was nothing.

"I hate that you're right, Diana." Bruce replied.

"I know, but you will be more accepting of it when you're at your end."

* * *

The day was slipping through their fingers.

Valiant efforts had gone all over the room, each hero doing their best to hold off the passing of time, but what could they do, really? They kept Diana distracted, reliving past adventures, trying to make her last hours as joyful as they could.

Pointless.

Diana's vision was fading as the curse overtook her, but she was not yet blind. She could see that Bruce's eyes never directly met with her own. She could hear the strain in John's voice. When Shayera laid a hand over her own, Diana could feel the slight trembling in the other woman's touch. J'onn was as polite as he'd ever been, but he radiated waves of despair and said so very little. Diana could see the tears hovering in Wally's eyes as he did his best to tell her jokes.

Time was running out. Diana could feel a full moon rising to take the place of the sun. She glanced out the living room window and saw that the orange and pink sky was just beginning to darken. Deep violet blue was moving in, ready to overtake the light. In truth, Diana was surprised that she had lasted the whole day.

An unseen tide was pulling her. Diana took a deep breath. She knew it was time.

"I must go now."

Shayera looked up, startled at Diana's abrupt words. "What?"

The Kents had left the League to their own devices, content with the time they'd had Diana to themselves and recognizing that the League deserved to be with her in the end. The group had spent the whole day in the living room, talking, eating and enjoying the simple company of friends. That simplicity was just shattered.

Diana stood. "It's time."

John stood with her, letting her hold onto his forearm for guidance. "Diana, are you sure?"

"Yes. I can feel it. Please, I need to get outside."

Wally's eyes widened. "Wait, what about Superman?"

J'onn's eyes flashed as he sought out Clark's mind. If it was Diana's time, they knew the importance of Clark's presence there with her. "He's close. He never went far from us."

Diana pointed to Shayera. "Please, find Clark and bring him to me."

The group crossed the Kent house and made their way outside. Without another word, Shayera lifted into the sky, her eyes seeking the Man of Steel on the other side of the clouds.

Bruce turned to Diana. "Where do you want to go?"

Diana couldn't explain it, but she was being called. She sensed the goddesses were near. Diana only had to follow their song and go to them.

She knew it would be all right then. She would be where she was meant to be.

Diana stepped forward on her own, away from John. She stood tall and began to walk, guided less and less by her earthly senses and more by the call of Olympus. She didn't answer their questions, she only walked forward.

The League could only follow her now.


	24. Chapter 24

As Diana walked through the fields of the Kent farm, Shayera lifted through the air. She flapped her wings hard to push herself higher, higher, until she was able to breach the clouds above the farm. Shayera hovered a moment, her eyes searching for the man. Where was he? J'onn had said he was very close.

"Superman!" She called. "Superman, where are you?"

Clark rose easily from a cluster of clouds below her. Shayera turned and allowed herself a moment to note the tear-stains on his cheeks and his red eyes. She understood his pain, she shared it. "Superman. Diana said it's time."

"I know. I heard her." He hovered before her, making no move back to the earth below.

Shayera shook her head. She knew he was afraid of this but Diana had sent her to fetch the man, and she intended to fulfill this last request to the letter. "Superman, please. I know it's killing you, but Diana wants you there when it happens." She reached for his hand, took it into both of her own.

Clark shook his head, staring off into the dimming sunset, unable to meet her eyes. "I...I don't know if I can just stand by watch this..."

"I know. I don't want to see it happen either, but this isn't about us- what we want or what we don't want to see happen to her isn't important anymore. This is about Diana. She's never asked us for anything, but she needs us now, Superman." Shayera's eyes were pleading with him.

Clark let out a breath. Silent tears were already sliding down his cheeks. "I love her. This is wrong. This isn't fair."

Shayera put her other hand on his shoulder. "If you love her, then you need to be there with her at the end."

He nodded. "I will."

"Let's go."

Together, they turned and parted the clouds.

* * *

Diana's stiffness of body had become less and less of an obstacle as she crossed the field. She followed the call of her goddesses with a single-mindedness that the League had rarely seen. They followed several steps behind her, curious now.

Where was Diana going? More importantly, why was she going anywhere?

If she was prepared to die, then why did it matter to her where it happened?

Wally glanced at Bruce, his eyes asking the question, _Why is Diana doing this?_

Bruce didn't have any answers. He was beginning to see that he had been wrong to think that any amount of his research into Greek mythology would alter the course Diana's gods had decided to take. He and Clark had a reasonable distrust of magic- there was too little predictability for them to follow. In Diana's case, magic and woman had been combined- no man would ever be able to understand such a combination.

The Kent field stretched on, ending at the edge of a forest. There was a mild wooded area ahead of them, the very edge of a state park touched the Kent property. Diana was walking quickly, muttering Greek words to herself now as she led the gaggle of heroes toward the edge of the field. The tree line signified the end of the Kent property. It was a large area of wilderness then, a forest cut through with jogging trails and ATV paths centered around a small lake.

Diana didn't stop. She could hear the call of Olympus, drawing her nearer and nearer. The voice of the goddesses were singing out to her, growing louder the closer she came.

She'd trekked over crop grasses and through the woods. Diana paused as she came to the water's edge.

There it was.

To Diana's eyes, it was Olympus risen again to the mortal plain. The song of her makers was blaring across the water to her. The palace of her gods, the creators of all she'd ever known. The great forces that had given new life to long dead Amazons, that had given them the gift of purpose on earth.

"Does anybody see anything but a little lake?"

Bruce frowned at Wally's question, then looked at Diana's face. She looked genuinely awed, her eyes were not seeing a lake, but something beautiful and majestic. Bruce knew that look; Clark looked the same way every time he accessed Brianiac's interactive file on Krypton.

Diana smiled and spread her arms to encompass this glory brought to earth. All that she had been created to protect and adore. They watched her, seeing nothing of the beauty that she beheld. Her being was lit from within, a radiance that she had lost in recent days as the curse overtook her. Diana could see it all- the temples, the glowing suns, the stars and the trees. The truth of beauty and life and death and power. The haven of the Olympic gods was before her, calling her home.

Her mind emptied of memories and thoughts; the League had already dropped from her notice once she'd heard the Olympic call. Wally, J'onn, Bruce and John faded away completely- their voices were drowned in the song of gods. Diana forgot the world and took a step forward. The water did not give in, but held strong. She surged forward on the water, moving further from the shore, toward Olympus.

The League could only watch as Diana began to walk over the water. Each step brought her closer to the center of the lake.

"What should we do?" Wally asked. He wasn't the brilliant detective that Bruce routinely proved himself to be, but he knew what happened when clay mixed with water.

_This can't be the death her gods intend for Diana!_

John shook his head and projected a green energy field beneath Diana's feet. "There's not much we can do, but if they decide to pull the rug out from under her, at least now we know she won't drown."

"Diana drowning is the least of my worries. Look!" Wally pointed. Diana was pulling at her clothes. Off came the headscarf, the long cardigan, her jeans. All that remained were the two silver bracelets that Clark had gifted to her during their ill-fated night out in Metropolis. Diana stood in her glory, naked, a living figure of clay.

Her eyes widened with anticipation. A golden figure was moving toward her, taking shape as it came closer. It...yes, it was her...

Diana extended her hand, reaching to press her fingertips to those of the Queen of Olympus. Hera took on her human form and stood before Diana, a golden pillar of female strength and serenity.

The hand of Hera rose, moving to touch Diana.

Silently, Hera was calling her forward. The lips of the goddess did not move. A chorus rose behind Hera, drowning out all other sound. It was Apollo, Artemis, Demeter, Poseidon, Hestia, Hermes, all of Olympus, pleading for Diana to shed the mortal coil and come to them.

Diana took one last breath and extended her hand to Hera, readying herself to be received by the gods.

"Diana!"

A face filled her vision. A man. Tan. Dark hair. Brilliant blue eyes. Who was he? He knew her.

This man had come between Diana and the deliverance of the queen. Hera stood behind this figure of flesh, still extending her hand, still ready to release Diana from the prison of life.

Clark grasped Diana's arms as he hovered over the water before her. Her eyes weren't only looking past him, at something he could not see. Clark had the unnerving sensation that she was looking _through_ him. They were not alone out there on the water.

"It's me, it's Clark. Diana, talk to me, please."

Dim memories began to swim in and out of what was left of Diana's mind.

_Clark._

She associated the man with a strange mix of comfort and passion...but he was not important. Not when Olympus had risen. Not was she was so close to...

_"Diana of Themyscira. Your time has come."_

The words shook the trees and blotted out the stars.

Diana felt her soul lunge forward, and she knew no more.

* * *

Clark watched in horror as Diana jerked hard in his arms as the last of her life was ripped from the earth.

He saw it. The dim light left her eyes, leaving them blank. Dead.

The clay body went still in his arms. It remained intact for only a moment before the figure crumbled apart in Clark's hands.

The dust fell into the murky water, all that was left of Diana.


	25. Chapter 25

* * *

Clark froze, staring down at his empty hands. All that remained of Diana was the dust in the water.

He looked up, over to the shore where the League, his closest friends, were still standing. Shock gave way to understanding, and understanding gave way to pain. He could see Shayera's tears.

Wally shook his head. "What just happened?" He asked. His voice was very small.

J'onn's eyes glowed for a moment before flickering. "She's gone. I can no longer sense her."

Bruce bowed his head. "So it's over."

Clark drifted back to the shore. He felt weak, broken inside. He felt as if he could barely stand. "This can't be over, there has to be something else we can do, some way to..."

John came forward and put a hand on Clark's shoulder. "This is what she wanted."

Clark shrugged off John's hand. He couldn't hear it, not now. Not when he could still see her face, hear her voice on the air. Without a word, Clark lifted into the air. Away from them, away from everything.

"Should I go after him?" Shayera asked. Truly, she didn't want to chase after the man now. She didn't want to do anything but be alone and cry for the loss of her friend.

She was not alone in that.

Bruce shook his head. In the absence of Superman and Wonder Woman, it was Batman who took the lead of the League. It was only natural- Bruce had more experience, a more centered worldview. "No. Clark needs to be alone. We should give him time."

"What do we tell the people?" John asked. He didn't want to think about press coverage or doing interviews at a time like this, but the world deserved to know that the League was down a founding member.

Diana deserved to be mourned and remembered by the world she had so fiercely fought to protect.

Bruce sighed. "I don't think we need to inform anyone outside of the League yet. Let's give Diana the respect she deserves before making her death into a media spectacle."

Hearts torn and souls heavy, what remained of the League departed to mourn their fallen hero.

* * *

Wally arrived in Central City and didn't stop running until he'd reached his apartment. He was upset, of course, though perhaps not as broken as Clark. He had lost Diana as a woman, while Wally had lost Diana as a close friend.

He sank onto his sofa, cradling his face in his hands. Death had never been this close to him before. In the years before his life as The Flash, when he'd only been Wally West, he had never experienced the death of someone close to him first-hand.

The others regarded him as a care-free young man, and by and large, they were right. His parents were not murdered in front of him, he was not the last of a dead alien race and he had not lost a fiance he'd once loved to a space battle. He had every reason to be happy, which might be the reason behind the other League members' censure.

That was over now. Diana dying had changed things, he could already sense it.

Clark leaving them all was telling: Superman would never have left them like that if it had been someone else who had died.

Wally wondered on that for a moment.

He didn't know when things had changed between Clark and Diana and he still wasn't sure why they had grown closer in the first place. He had overheard a few details, but Wally was still trying to fill in the gaps of his understanding.

He pulled off his hood, then the rest of his costume and changed into a pair of sweats. The Flash was determined to take a few days to himself; he wasn't sure what he could do to honor all that Diana had been to him, but he hoped that she might be able to inspire him from the other side.

* * *

Across the world, it was J'onn who faced the same lingering questions. He had flown back to find the tiny house he shared with his wife plunged in darkness. She had tried to stay up for him, but he had been gone all day, it was now close to dawn in China.

He morphed back into his human form and slipped into bed beside her. J'onn's eyes held fast to the ceiling as his mind drifted back into long-dormant memory. He knew Clark's pain of having Diana torn away from him; it was too easy for the League to forget that J'onn's world had died and that he was all that remained of the Martian legacy.

He tried again to sense Diana's mind, but she was gone. Of course, he had not been able to sense Superman when he had been blasted into a disturbing future, so there was a sort of hope held that Diana could be on another plain of existence. J'onn hoped that was true. He hoped that Diana was where she was meant to be, and happy and safe...but J'onn knew that his hopes were born more out of a need to comfort his own heart than out of any truth.

Diana was dead. Her gods had called her soul forth and allowed her body to crumble away into the murky waters of that Kansas lake. Nothing they could have done would have prevented her end, Diana had waved away any suggestion that they intervene. She had been accepting of her fate. She had been ready.

Perhaps it was Diana's willingness to die that angered Superman.

Perhaps he felt her acceptance was a sort of betrayal.

But no.

It was only that Diana knew they were out of their league. The gods who had made Diana had the right to unmake her, and so they had. And now the world would know a Justice League without a Wonder Woman.

Diana had once accused him of closing himself off from humanity.

There, lying beside his wife and grieving for his friend, J'onn felt tears slide down his face.

Perhaps he was not so distant from humanity after all.

* * *

"Awaken, Diana of Themyscira."

The voice of sweet thunder pulled Diana into consciousness. She could see Hera before her, the Queen of Olympus and all that it was to be woman. A beautiful figure in a long flowing tunic, Hera was every glory immortalized in the artwork of the ancients. Diana bowed before her, hardly daring to lift her head and meet the eyes of the goddess.

"You may rise."

Diana did so, and in rising she was better able to realize her surroundings.

The amazing and absurd architecture of Olympus rose and fell before her eyes. Grecian columns carved from enchanted marble rose through the clouds. Staircases that hung suspended in midair and ended abruptly were joined by floors tilted at opposing angles. Living statues changed their poses with the whims of the gods. Great carved faces changed their expressions. All of this rising above alternately darkening skies and bright sunrises. In this, Diana could see the seas, the earth and the stars. She could feel fire and wind, she could smell the mountains and harvest crops.

She took in a breath. It was all so alarming. She would have been frightened were it not for a sense of peace she felt at her core. _So this is our Olympus. The palace stronghold of the gods._

"Yes, my child."

Diana looked back to Hera, startled. She had said nothing out loud.

"I can hear your every thought, Diana. See your every imagined whim. I am queen, am I not?"

"Forgive me, Hera."

The golden goddess only shook her head gently. "Come with me, Diana. Your purpose did not end with your death."


	26. Chapter 26

* * *

It was three hours before Clark drifted beneath the clouds to rejoin what remained of the League. The shock of Diana's death, the tidal wave of pain that had claimed him had been too much to bear. Perhaps he was being prideful, but Clark hadn't wanted the others to see him cry for Diana. They still didn't understand how close they had come in the past weeks, that it was more than a friend and teammate that had fallen apart in his arms over the water.

It tore through him like a wild animal, tearing at his heart and twisting into his stomach. Diana was gone from the world, and Superman had been helpless to stop it.

As he sank back down to earth, he was surprised to see that Bruce's private chopper was still near the main house. He would have thought that Bruce would be the first to leave.

Clark's feet touched the ground, and he turned at the sound of a nearby heartbeat. Of course. Bruce had been standing in the shadows of the doorway to the barn, watching him.

Clark blinked, feeling how tired his eyes were from producing tears and heated beams of anger. Oh, yes. He, perhaps the most level-headed of them all, had succumbed to the anger of his own failings. It embarrassed him to know that Bruce may have even seen the flashes of red that had parted the clouds, thousands of feet above the earth.

Bruce was so guarded of his own secrets, but he never hesitated to spy on those he claimed to trust.

Clark frowned. He didn't want to talk to anyone. Couldn't a man mourn in peace?

"What are you still doing here, Bruce?"

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "That should be obvious."

"What? You were waiting for me to come back? Why? So you could remind me again how it's my fault this happened? That if I had brought her to the WatchTower sooner, and not spent so much time playing house, that things would be different?" Clark demanded.

He wasn't angry with Bruce. Not really. He only needed something to absorb his fury, this maddening frustration. Superman needed something to fight, something that he could hit and hurt as badly as he already was. He couldn't fight Diana's curse or the gods that had given it, and he wasn't able to fight the advance of time that had let the curse eat away at her body. There had been nothing to do with all his strength.

Being useless was, in Clark's mind, a form of torture. He had been rendered powerless before, but even then, he hadn't been rendered useless.

Bruce stepped out of the shadows. "No, I was waiting for you to come back so I could apologize for those exact things I said to you the last time we met. It wasn't fair of me to make that judgment against you. Or her."

Clark swallowed, wrestling with a fresh wave of pain. "Say her name. I want her back. There has to be a way, please, we have to find a way."

Bruce watched as earth's mightiest hero sank to his knees, crying for the woman he loved.

Even after so many years of pretending, Bruce still didn't know what to do for a friend in pain.

* * *

Clark woke up in his old bedroom. He stared at the ceiling, clinging to the half-asleep hope that the night had been a horrible dream. That Diana had never fallen apart, or gone to Tartarus, or come to him that night in Metropolis. He would sacrifice this new love for her if he knew she was alive and safe.

He inhaled, breathing in the last remnants of Diana's fading scent.

He closed his eyes, wincing as the memory of her face crumbling in his hands flooded his mind's eye.

Clark moved to sit up quickly, spearing his fingers through his hair.

_I couldn't save her. She didn't want me to._

He stood and looked out the window. The sun was bathing the crops in warm, buttery yellow light. The chickens were milling around the yard, pecking at the ground.

Bruce's chopper was gone, the last of the League to leave the Kent farm. He imagined Bruce was locked away in his cave, obsessing over a way to neutralize the League if they began to follow the path of the Justice Lords after Diana's death...

His stomach twisted at the thought- Could Bruce think they would do it? _Would_ they do it?

_What do I do now?_

A tight hand was squeezing Clark's heart from within his chest. The memories of Diana were assaulting his mind, torturing him with what wonder the world would now be deprived of.

Diana had not needed or even wanted him to save her, but regardless of her desire, Clark was her friend first- and friends, true friends, did everything in their power to protect each other. Everything in Clark had been conditioned to help others- to protect the innocent and believe in the possibility for villains to redeem themselves. Without her powers, Diana was innocent, defenseless. She fell under those Clark had sworn to protect and her death was the proof of his failure.

She had gone in peace and left a man to make war on his own mind.

Clark's hands felt clammy, a light sweat had broken out on his brow. His head felt light, dizzy. He stumbled a little as he came down the stairs and headed through the living room.

John and Martha were in the kitchen when he came downstairs. The heavy scents of cooking ham, eggs and coffee only twisted his stomach in a hard, painful knot. John looked up from the paper to see his son stagger through the living room and into the kitchen, heading toward the back door.

"Clark? You look like hell, what's the matter?"

Clark didn't answer. He had to get outside. _She's dead. I saw it. Diana's gone._

Martha set down her skillet. "Clark, get back here. Please, what happened last night?"

He didn't stay to answer. The open sky was calling him.

Clark plowed through the back door, knocking it off its hinges, and took to the air.

* * *

"You've got a lot of people worried, you know."

Clark opened his eyes to find it was already late in the evening. He had spent the day flying, circling the state, desperate to clear his mind and burn through his anguish. Pointless. All he'd accomplished was exhausting himself, but he hadn't felt up to facing his parents just yet. They would be mad at him for breaking the back door, and they would ask what had happened to Diana.

How could he even begin to explain it to them?

His eyes still burned from the tears he'd shed. His head was still pounding from the pain of berating himself in blame for Diana's death. Mostly, it was his heart that troubled him. Already he missed having Diana with him, and longed to have her back. He wanted her to fly with him, to laugh with him again. Longing for Diana was pulling him apart from the inside out.

He turned to John, who was now hovering beside him above the clouds. Clark had been drifting in the air for hours. "I know. I'm sorry, it's just…I didn't really expect this to happen."

It was a pathetic excuse, Clark knew. He had been behaving like a weak man, a coward who was running from the truth, but here he was.

John shook his head. "Don't beat yourself up about it. None of us expected it to happen. Not to her. She's the only one of us who's had a few bicentennial birthdays, born into a race of immortals- it didn't make any sense for her to be the first to go. But it happened. As unfair as it was, she died. Now all we have is the memory to fall back on."

Clark swallowed, nodded.

John sighed lightly. He knew that he couldn't expect Superman to just forget about what happened and move on; he had another reason for his visit.

"I…um…these kind of fell when she…well, you know. I know you gave them to her. I thought you might want them back." John used the power of his ring to bring forth the silver bracelets that Diana had been wearing the night before. They had remained on her body after her spirit had departed.

Unbeknownst to the others, John had stayed behind and searched the water of the lake until he'd found them.

He thought it was only right that the bracelets should find their way back to Clark.

The man reached through the brilliant green energy and took the bracelets. He held them for several moments, then sighed deeply. "Thank you John. I appreciate this."

John shook his head. "It was no trouble. Trust me, I think it was the least I could do. Are you going to be all right?"

Clark blinked, feeling the slight push of new tears, but he held them back. A warm breeze flared under him, he could feel it lift him just a bit, but it was enough. He nodded at John. "Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Thanks again for these. I'll keep them safe."

John nodded. "You do that. Will we see you at the next League meeting?"

"I'll be there."

* * *

Hippolyta sat alone in her chambers, her lips furiously forming the prayers that had gone unanswered for weeks. She had received no word on the condition of her daughter, no notice of her passing or progress toward recuperation.

The lack of knowledge was worse than the helplessness she'd felt when Diana had been called into Tartarus.

Her sisters understood, and she was sure that a great number of them felt the same restlessness- but no other Amazon was a mother, and so could not share her exact distress.

"I have some news for you, though it may not lift your heart."

Hippolyta turned, dagger in hand, at the sound of a man's voice. Her eyes widened. "Hades! What do you think you are doing?"

He stood in the center of her room, his dark form almost infecting the serenity of her living space. The god appeared as arrogant as ever, having so easily bypassed the magic meant to protect the Amazons from one such as him. The thought flickered through Hippolyta's mind that she would strengthen their defenses tenfold before she allowed Hades to catch her off her guard again.

Hades tilted his head slightly, and the dagger evaporated from Hippolyta's hand. "Let's not kid ourselves- that dagger would do nothing to me."

She scowled at him. Hades and his ridiculous games were the last thing she wanted to deal with. "Why are you here? How is it that you are able to come and go from Tartarus so easily?"

Hades shrugged. "I told you before- my brother Zeus has forgiven me my failed mutiny for the throne of Olympus. Even before Diana and her friend helped me to defeat Faust, I was able to leave if I chose. There is rarely a reason to venture into your world, but for this I felt I must."

"What news have you?"

Hades took a breath. There was a part of him that relished in the pain of others- but he had loved Hippolyta once, and she had loved him. A part of him still carried a torch of hope that they might someday...

"Hippolyta, Diana has died."

His statement crashed through Hippolyta's mind. "You lie!"

"I do not. I would not have come here were it not so."

Ever the warrior, the woman did not falter before him- she neither collapsed into hysterics nor betrayed any emotion on her face. The only difference in her stance that Hades could detect was that her body had gone rigid. Hippolyta swallowed heavily before asking, "How?"

"Her body was cursed by Aphrodite. The goddess was jealous that, in her absence, Ares chose Diana as his consort."

"When did this happen?"

"Seven days ago."

_Seven days._

Seven days and she'd had no idea- no goddess had answered her prayers, no Superman had come to tell her of the death of her daughter. Hippolyta clenched her fists. _I will have Superman's head for this!_

"Seven days have passed...I have known nothing of my daughter since Superman took her from Themyscira. I have not known where she's been, her condition, and now I learn that I have been deprived the news of her death." Hippolyta took a deep breath, her mind already leaping forward, to what she would tell the other Amazons, to the tributes they would sacrifice to Diana's departed spirit. "I thank you for informing me of this, Hades. You may go now."

"That was not why I came here today."

Hippolyta glared into his red eyes, not in the least intimidated by his power. "I have no ears for your gloating. If one word crosses your lips to degrade my daughter's memory, I will send you back to Hades in pieces."

"I remember now why I loved you. No, I came to tell you that Diana's soul has not come into the afterlife."

"What?!"

"I am not truly an evil god, as you might remember, Hippolyta. Overly ambitious, maybe. Every soul departed is sorted into Tartarus or Olympus. Since Diana is not in my realm..."

Hippolyta sank down onto her chaise, numb.

Hades nodded. "Her ghost may come to see you, if the gods grant her that gift. Take heart that, even if Diana is dead, she is a spirit held in the chambers of Olympia."

Hades faded then, returning to his throne in Tartarus, leaving Hippolyta alone with her shock.


	27. Chapter 27

The wind whipped his face, coursing through his hair as he powered through the air, flying high and fast over the ocean. Clark swallowed, trying to picture what he would say, how he could tell her such shattering news. There was no easy way to tell a mother that her child was dead, but there was no reason to be harsh with the truth.

_I can't lie to the queen, but the truth could kill her._

What would he do? Touch down on the sands of Themyscira and tell the queen that Diana had spent weeks regressing back into clay before she finally fell apart over a lake in Kansas? That all that remained of her daughter was the dust swirling in the murky currents? Clark imagined the queen might fly into hysterics- Amazon or not, she was still a mother. Or, she might engage some kind of magic to bring Diana back.

Clark shook his head. _Diana has been dead for nine days now. I know I need to make peace with it, but I just can't let it go._

In his career as a reporter, Clark often felt that tingle of anticipation to break a story, that there was more than what meets the eye, and that it takes a little finesse and investigative skill to uncover the truth. He felt that instinct rise within him whenever he attempted to accept that Diana was dead.

It was more than the sorrow of her loss. He felt that she was gone, but not dead. That if there was a way to reach her, he would find it on Themyscira.

The island shimmered thousands of feet beneath him, a tiny jewel in the heart of the sea.

Clark dipped in the sky, circling down, down, until he skimmed the water and his feet met the shore. The island was quiet, much quieter than he recalled from his last visit. It seemed even the island birds were sedate in the trees and sky.

He began walking over the shore, then through the woods. Clark didn't bother lying to himself: he was stalling for more time. He could have flown right to the palace, but instead he'd landed on the shore, on the far side of the island, no less.

_I don't know if I can tell the queen that Diana is dead- I don't feel that she is. She can't be. Diana can't be dead..._

The urge to fall into despair rose within him, but Clark beat his emotions down, keeping them locked away. He'd grieved for Diana after her death, resigned himself to the cold truth: that there was never anything he could have done to save her, Superman or not. Still, the thought tormented him that Diana had died such an ugly, needless death.

Diana of Themyscira deserved so much better.

Clark ran his fingers through his hair, growing more upset with himself. He was still warring with himself on his feelings for Diana, wasting time. He had meant to tell the queen of Diana's passing, truly he had, but the best laid plans often broke into chaos.

Once the news of Diana's passing had reached the greater League, there had been a long service for her. Clark had spoken of her beauty and strength, her determination to bring her Amazon ideals to the outside world. It had taken his every ounce of strength not to break down at the podium. He suspected that J'onn had provided some sort of mental support to keep his heavy emotions from overtaking him during the speech.

The next day, the heroines of the League had organized a contest to determine who would ultimately take Diana's place at the Founders Table. They staged the contest as a sort of tribute to the fallen Amazon. Vixen had won, hands down, which had led to immediate tension between John, Mari and Shayera. Clark stayed out of it, satisfied and even optimistic with Mari on board.

Once Bruce assured him that he would handle things at the WatchTower, Clark had left, intent for Themyscira.

However, once he'd returned to earth, nature had turned against his mission to the queen. Volcanoes erupted, landslides and floods overtook villages, and then there was the small matter of an inter-dimensional witch causing mischief just outside of Berlin. Superman did not have the right to ignore people calling out for help.

Clark had been waylaid on his way to Themyscira, but he was there now, determined to tell the queen what had become of Diana.

_You've stalled enough- get moving. Hippolyta deserves the truth._

For once, the man took his own advice and lifted above the trees, headed toward the palace. The guards noticed him, and he waved, trying to make himself seem as amiable as ever. He knew that a great many of them still held little trust for him. He landed a few feet from the guards and bowed at the waist. "Good morning. I wish to speak with queen Hippolyta, please."

The guards glared at him, perhaps thinking his kind request pretentious, but they said nothing as they led him into the center of the palace courtyard. Clark followed, several, feet behind them out of respect. He noticed a great deal of new construction had started. It looked to him like an extension of the main building, but he only shrugged and continued to follow the two guards.

They stepping into the greater palace and then moved through a large corridor, its walls and ceiling decorated with stunning Greek murals, and the throne room opened up before them. Hippolyta was there on the white marble throne, looking over a scroll brought to her by a sister Amazon. Timandra, if Clark remembered correctly.

Clark moved forward and kneeled before Hippolyta, patiently waiting until Timandra and the two guards left them alone in the throne room. He rose up to look into the queen's eyes. There was something different about the woman- her eyes were red-rimmed, and she wore a deep navy tunic with a black cape. Strange, when he'd only ever seen her in regal white garb.

Unease began to twist in Clark's stomach. Something had happened here, some change had taken place.

"Your Majesty, I beg your forgiveness for not coming sooner, but I-"

"I know why you have come, Superman. I know your every excuse, I wish to hear nothing of the ineptness of mankind that has delayed you. Tell me of my daughter."

Clark struggled under her harsh gaze. He could feel it, her writhing fury lurking just under the polished veneer of her royal command. He had the feeling that, were she a civilian Amazon, she would attack him outright.

He swallowed. "I…Diana is dead, Hippolyta. She-"

In one swift movement, the queen rose form her throne and cracked her hand across Clark's face so hard he felt his teeth rattle. "Don't you dare say her name." She hissed at him. "Yes, I know Diana is dead. It was Hades, _Hades_, who told me. Not you, the great Superman of Man's World. You, who Diana trusted and loved above all others, enough to abandon her home for and leave her sisters behind. Yes, the queen knows all, Clark Kent."

"I'm sorry. I know I should have told you, you should have been the first to know." He offered, hating that her words cut into him so deeply.

"I told you already: I don't want to hear your excuses."

"Then please, let me do something for you, anything. I want to make this right." Clark pleaded.

"There are not enough reparations in the world to give me back what I have lost. If you want to put yourself to some use, then you will help Timandra in the construction of the temple to my daughter's memory. She was the greatest Amazon of us all and so deserves no less than the finest tribute."

Clark nodded, grateful for some task, some tanglible effort toward making ammends with her. "Yes, Your Majesty. I'll have it finished by sunset, I promise you."

Hippolyta glared at him. "You also promised to protect my daughter. Do not break your word to me again, Superman."

* * *

"It is a perfect likeness, Superman. I think even our hostile queen may appreciate your efforts tonight."

Clark glanced behind him to see a gaggle of Amazons approaching him. He had been standing just outside of the newly erected temple for Diana, taking a moment to savor the fruit of his labor. It really was a beautiful temple; the building had a sort of tragic nobility to it, he thought as he watched its silhouette rise against the evening sky.

The Amazons gathered around to marvel at the temple. He knew that all of them were trained as warriors, though not all of them claimed the title. He recognized Cydippe, Diana's former aide; Clio, a scribe; Oenone, one of the women who studied the plants of the island, a botanist of sorts, and then Niobe, an Amazon priestess.

Clark was breathing hard, exhausted both from the labor and the pressure of presenting the grieving queen with the perfect tribute she wanted for Diana. It was more than that- he wanted every last detail to be perfect for Diana herself, as if she might look down from Heaven and be tempted to rejoin the mortal realm. He gave Clio a tired smile. "You really think she'll like what we've done?"

Really, there was no "we" involved in the project. Timandra had shown him the plans for the temple, and Clark had used his every ability to carve the marble columns, smooth the temple floor and then, placing the statue modeled after Diana in the center so that all the Amazons could come forward the next day and present gifts to her spirit. He knew that new generations of Amazons would rise and worship Diana. The thought that she would never be forgotten here gave him a great measure of comfort.

The sun was setting on Themyscira. Clark had delivered to Hippolyta a remarkable temple for a remarkable Amazon, just as he'd promised.

Timandra stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "If the queen finds fault with your work, then she is speaking from a pained heart, not from her keen eyes. Thank you, Superman. We would never have been able to finish this task in one day."

Cydippe stepped forward. "I was aide to the princess, from her birth on the shore to the day she left us for Man's World. On the occasion that she returned, she always spoke well of you. I can see that she spoke the truth now, after what you've done today."

The Amazons bowed their heads slightly, taking a moment to remember their sister.

"You can go in now, if you want." Clark offered gently.

To be granted access to the temple erected in their fallen sister's honor was a brilliant thing. The four of them would be given a chance to see the temple first, before the whole of the island overran it with worship for Diana the next morning.

Timandra watched as her four sisters moved up the steps, into the temple. She then turned to Clark. "I will inform the queen that the temple is complete. Superman. Is it true that you and the princess were…bonded?"

Clark furrowed his brow at the question. He was sure none of the Amazons knew the details of he and Diana's night together before she'd gone into Tartarus. "We were very close." He said. Clark didn't trust himself to say more- the last thing he wanted was for any rumors to taint Diana's memory in her homeland.

Timandra nodded, seeming to think on this. "Then before you leave Themyscira, you should want to visit her chambers and her grove. You know, take something that belonged to her for yourself."

Clark didn't answer her, he only watched as she headed in the direction of the throne room.

* * *

_I don't know why I'm here. I shouldn't be in this room, touching her things._

Clark had never seen Diana's private room of the palace. It was beautiful. White columns lined the balcony that opened out over the ocean. Her bed was a creation of carved mahogany; fresh linen sheets, a down comforter, cool to the touch, and a blue-gray fur lay folded at the edge of the bed.

He knew that she had not been in this room for several months, but certainly the palace maids had kept the room from gathering dust in her absence. Still, the room was as grand and lovely at the woman herself.

His longing for Diana erupted at the sight of her tiara. It rested on a chaise near the balcony. Clark picked up her golden crown. The poor thing was scorched black, the red star jewel in the center was shattered- only a few rough shards remained. Clark ran his fingertips over the intricate Amazonian designs etched into the gold band.

_She lost this in Tartarus. How did Hippolyta get it back?_

He sank down onto the chaise, moving the tiara in his hands; both grateful and tormented to have something tangible of Diana's. Clark rubbed his hands over his face. Tired. Sad.

_I can't take her tiara. I can't. This was too close to her. The sisters will want it for the temple..._

Clark had thought he had moved on from the guilt of thinking he'd failed Diana, but the despair of knowing she was gone still tugged at him. He felt that Diana wasn't dead, but knew he was only deluding himself. She was dead. He'd seen it. He'd felt her body crumble apart in his hands and still he chased the hope that Diana was alive somehow, somewhere just beyond his grasp.

_Maybe it is crazy. I should leave. I did what the queen wanted- I did my best to help Diana recover, and I gave the Amazons a temple dedicated to her memory. I can't do anything more for them. Or her._

Clark set down Diana's tiara and left her room, intent to find the grove that Timandra had mentioned. If he was going to say his final goodbye to Diana, then perhaps that would be the place to do it.

* * *

He lifted over the water, lowering until his feet touched the surface. Clark knew he would fall into the water if he let go of the air; he wouldn't be able to walk across the water the way that Diana had on her last night. It must have been some kind of magic that had let her cross the lake in Kansas.

Clark moved to the grass and walked the trail surrounding the water, trying to see the area through Diana's eyes. Yes. The little grove was beautiful, the arbor was a place of peace, of comfort. A large statue of a woman had been placed at the edge of the water. The etching claimed the woman to be Antiope. The name didn't mean anything to Clark, just another honored Amazon warrior fallen in battle.

He searched for any trace that Diana might have left behind from her last visit to this place, anything that Clark could take with him as a link to the woman. He couldn't take her tiara; if anything it belonged in her temple, to be viewed by the generations to come.

Diana had changed his life, and she hadn't even known it. Before Diana, Clark had learned to be content with the prospect that he might never find a woman that he could let go with, both in a physical and emotional sense.

He'd adored Lois, but she would have never forgiven him for keeping his identity a secret for so long. He also knew that he could never have her without hurting her in some way, either by an enemy coming after her to get to him or even by being careless in a moment of passion. He supposed he could have lived with knowing he was meant to be alone.

But Diana…Clark had always been himself with her. He could let go with her, he already had, and it had been a beautiful night between them. She was his equal in strength and in commitment to working for peace and justice in the world; she was his superior in speaking the truth.

_"We have some time left, you and I, but the day will soon come when I am no more."_

No. She never lied to him.

Clark sighed and looked up to the stars. From this spot, they were easy to see. The sky was so clear over the ocean. He sat down on one of the smooth boulders peppered throughout the grove. The events of the day, and the days before that were catching up to him, dragging him down.

He would feel more at ease if he knew, one way or another, that Diana was safe. To him, it would be worth the sacrifice if he knew her spirit was at peace.

There was no way to know any of it, of course.

Even the heroes with magic powers had no way of knowing the great mysteries.

Clark closed his eyes and leaned his back against the boulder, listening to the soothing sound of the water flowing over the rocks, the breeze in the trees of the grove.

It was beautiful there, so peaceful…

He felt a warm, gentle hand move across his face. It stroked his cheek with the backs of its fingers, then cupped his jaw. The touch was so light that Clark was sure he was imagining it. He didn't open his eyes.

A voice was carrying on the air, some whispering song…

"You came here for me. I knew it was only a matter of time before we saw each other again, Clark…"

Clark opened his eyes.

Diana was before him.


	28. Chapter 28

"You can't be real."

Diana raised a brow in amusement. "You would say that. Why aren't you happy to see me?"

"Because I don't like games. Diana is dead. I saw it happen."

She looked off into the distance for a moment, but she blinked, her mind returned to the present. "You don't know what you saw. Your suspicion is unfounded, my friend."

Bruce narrowed his eyes, feeling his patience run out. "Don't call me that! I've had enough of this- who are you?!"

Diana glared at him. "I am Diana of Themyscira. Your friend, your teammate. We founded the League together. I died, and have been reborn. Is it truly so hard to believe?"

Bruce swallowed, not sure if he could believe what she said. He wanted to believe it was her, truly he did, but it was so easy to be tricked by some crazed villain wearing the face of the dead. It could be Circe or the Scarecrow, or any number of new enemy that knew of his connection to her and wanted to hurt him.

Alfred had drawn him out of the cave, claiming that a certain young woman wanted to speak with him. Alfred himself had seemed as if he'd seen a ghost- that should have been his first clue. The man had been shocked to find that Diana had been waiting for him in the back yard, walking on the water of his koi pond.

Bruce didn't know if he could believe that this was the same Diana that had died only days before.

Her eyes flashed at him, sparking blue fire. She was before him in an instant, her hands cupping his face. "I know what you're thinking. You can't believe that I am Diana. Fear hovers over your heart; you are terrified of the pain it will cause if you begin to believe I am your Diana, and then find me to be some impostor."

Bruce stared at her, saying nothing. He was not convinced.

Not yet.

"My lasso is gone. If it is the absolute truth you seek, Bruce Wayne, you need only to look in my eyes and know me as your friend."

* * *

"You...you can't be Diana. I saw her die. I felt her die..."

Clark felt tears welling in his eyes, the pain of the clenching heart so full of new hope.

The sight of Diana before him- more radiant, more beautiful than ever before, was too much to bear. He moved off the rock he'd been reclining on, away from her.

Something was...she looked different. Her wardrobe had changed: gone were the clothes she'd worn in Smallville and the golden armor of her heritage. She wore a short, flowing white tunic with a long royal blue cape. Gold leather sandals. A gold circlet over her brow. A golden eagle emblazoned across her chest.

Clark frowned and shook his head. No. No, it was more than her clothes. It was _her. _There was a new power coursing through her, a beautiful force unlike Clark had ever felt before.

_This can't be you- you died, I saw it happen, I felt it..._

Diana stood before him, watching with a small smile. "Bruce has just said the same thing, in Gotham."

"What? What are you-?"

She moved closer to him, pausing as Clark took a step back. She opened her arms to him, a gesture meant to show she intended no harm. She thought that Clark, of all men, Clark would know that she truly was Diana. She was changed, reborn, but still Diana at the core of her self. She had to make him see that. There had only been words between them. More was needed. Clark could not trust his eyes, but perhaps her touch...

Diana took another step forward, laying her hands over the plains of his chest. She was relieved that he did not move away from her once more. "Clark. Please, listen to me. My body was destroyed, but my spirit was taken to Olympus. Hera made all things clear to me. I know it sounds impossible, but you and I are proof of the impossible."

Clark kept his gaze with hers. He wanted to believe her so badly, but how could he trust what she said? How could he believe any of it?

He swallowed. Then, slowly, he raised his hands, placing them over hers on his chest. "I want to believe you."

"Then do. Let go of your pain and the fear that I will be revealed as some villain. I am Diana, reborn, and I will tell you everything."

* * *

"Diana...how can this be?"

Hippolyta reached forward, cupping Diana's face. The skin beneath her fingertips felt almost cool to the touch, it was not the warmth of real flesh. The queen's heart had swelled to the point of pain as she'd seen Diana emerge from the balcony and into her bedroom. She'd been speechless, numb with shock at the sight of her daughter returned to life. Diana had come in and wordlessly sat on the edge of her mother's bed.

Diana felt the full force of her mother's pain and rage in that small touch, Hippolyta's sorrow of losing her child and the pain of the joy in seeing her return. Like Bruce and Clark, she sensed the queen's fear that Diana could be yet another villain in disguise. Diana felt her resolve come to the surface.

_I will make them see who I am. I will reveal Truth to all who seek it._

Diana hugged Hippolyta fiercely. She absorbed her mother's every pain and fear. She took it all.

"I was taken to Olympus, mother. Hera opened my eyes to the mysteries of the gods. I am reborn, mother. A goddess."

Hippolyta pulled back, stroking the hair from Diana's face. "A goddess? My daughter, the greatest Amazon of us all."

Diana laughed. "The others don't believe me. I don't know how to convince them that I am the true Diana."

"They are fools, then. Please, let us alert your sisters. They will rejoice in your return. We can reveal your new life in your temple."

She raised a brow. "I've not been dead a month and already you have built me a temple."

Hippolyta smiled at her daughter. Once a warrior, now a goddess. "I spoiled you in life, Diana. My little sun and stars. Why break such a long habit after your death?"


	29. Chapter 29

Diana stood before her mother and her lover in the temple erected as a tribute to her passing. She stared at them both for a moment, these two who she loved most in the world. She loved them differently, yes, but her love was fierce for them both.

"I cannot stay with you long, but there is time enough to show you Hera's gift. Take my hands, please."

Hippolyta did not hesitate to reach for Diana's hand. The queen was eager to gain a glimpse of Olympus and the chance to see through the eyes of a goddess. Her heart was thundering with happiness. Her daughter was returned to her, a goddess! Nothing would ever harm her precious Diana again. She could ask for nothing else in life.

Clark paused for a moment, still wary. If it was a trick, if this Diana was an impostor...

He took a deep breath before he took Diana's hand. Her eyes met his at the touch. She could feel his strength underlying the gentle clasp of his fingers, strength she recalled only too well. She had missed the sensation of flesh, the earthy blend of pain and pleasure that made her human experience.

_I am a newborn goddess, still unused to the form my power has taken on. I am slow to adjust, but adjust I will, to better aid my friends in our fight for peace- both on earth and every other world._

She stroked her thumb over Clark's hand, sudden carnal thoughts flashing through her mind. The thought crossed her mind that, while Diana's body had crumbled into the lake, she was a goddess now, and free to take a human (or Kryptonian) lover if she mood should ever strike her like it had with the other gods on the Mount.

Her time with Clark was not meant to end with her death. Their story was not over. They would have each other again.

_Now is not the time for such longings. You must first prove to them that you are Diana!_

She focused, reliving her time with Hera, and bringing her memory forward as a reality to her man and her queen.

* * *

The opulence of the once-fabled Mount Olympus stretched around them in all directions. It was as amazing and beautiful as he could have ever imagined. It appeared to him as a never-ending temple: columns of ethereal marble corridors stretched on forever, staircases hung suspended in midair, great statues moved with life, waterfalls fell upward to the sky, gardens bore fruit and enchanted animals.

Clark blinked. _How can this place be real?_

Two figures came into focus before him; two women suddenly became clear, as if emerging from mist. They came forward, walking through a corridor just on his left. He could see Diana, appearing as she did now, standing before a beautiful woman in a pale blue robe. A crown rested in the voluminous golden waves of the other woman's hair.

"It is Hera, our queen of Olympia." Hippolyta gasped beside him, both terrified and in awe. Clark swallowed, feeling much the same way. Monsters and crazed villains had in many ways become the norm to him, it was the magical beings that unnerved him most.

Together, they watched as Diana knelt before the goddess queen. "I did only what was decreed by Zeus, my queen."

"Yes, my husband is far too easily persuaded by the fits of an angered Ares. Had I known what my king intended as a duty for you, I would have put a stop to it. You must know this." Hera said, emphasizing her disgust with Zeus's capitulation to Ares's demand.

Diana shook her head. "It is not for me to question the decrees of Olympus, great Hera."

The goddess queen raised a brow, and then smiled. "Ah, for you are such an obedient Amazon, are you? Did you not steal your lasso, your armor, all in defiance of your own earth mother's orders? And once in Man's World, as you call it, you did so much fighting in defense of the mortal humans but you did little in the ways of educating them. Your temper got the better of you- we all could see it. It was as if you had forgotten your purpose as an Amazon in the heat of so many otherworldly battles."

Diana hung her head, burning with fresh shame. "Is this the reason that Ares demanded me? Because I needed to be humbled by the God of War for the transgression of not doing enough to spread Amazon ideals of peace?"

"No, my child. You were sent to Ares only because Ares demanded it, in exchange for his not waging a war upon the humans. He threatened Zeus with this, if you did not come to replace Aphrodite at his side in Tartarus. Were I the king of all Olympia, I would have killed Ares eons ago." By Hera's words, none present were in doubt of her claim.

"And Aphrodite? What became of my patron- my gifts were stripped after my expulsion from the underworld realm. My body crumbled into clay. I was cursed and died before all who cared for me. Please, Hera, I must know the reason. Had I offended Aphrodite in some way?" Diana pleaded.

It had all been hidden in clouds of confusion- why she had been sent to Tartarus, why she had been so quickly released, and who had cursed Diana and why. Even now, she only knew part of the Olympic puzzle.

Hera shook her head. "Aphrodite is only offended by those who would look at another woman before her. She inspires love and beauty in others, but love can lead to jealousy, pettiness. Know that Aphrodite loves Ares, in her way, and she cursed you so that he could never take you again. That Ares took you to his side so easily, so quickly after she left, was what angered her. It was Aphrodite's curse that meant to remove you from the god's temptation."

"I died on earth for Aphrodite's jealousy."

Anger and a wounded bitterness colored her words. Rightfully so.

Hera reached forward and cupped Diana's pale cheek. "Yes. She did not answer yours prayers for her shame as to what torment she caused to you, the champion she loved from the moment of your birth. You are a daughter of Olympia, my child, and Aphrodite's curse was an affront to us all. She has been dealt with, as has Ares. Zeus is beyond reprimand, or so he likes to think. You are loved here, Diana. I refused to let you revert fully to the dust from which you came. You fell, a feeble mortal. You will rise now, a goddess."

Both Clark and Hippolyta watched as Diana stood to better face her queen. Shock was etched across her face, but understanding was quick to dawn as she realized the sincerity of her queen's declaration.

"A goddess, my queen Hera?"

"Yes, child. You, Diana, shall serve on Olympus as you did on earth- a beacon of truth."

* * *

"So you see? I am reborn a goddess." Diana said carefully as Hippolyta and Clark came down from the vision she'd granted them.

All at once, they were on the floor of Diana's temple once more. The soft Themysciran night hung over the island, showing an ebony sky littered with stars. The sconces on the temple walls flickered, sending shadows to dance through the corners of the room.

Hippolyta blinked, shaking off the power of Olympus that the vision had confronted her with. "And will you act as the Olympic gods? Vanish and then only appearing once every few centuries? I cannot bear you being away for so long."

"I will return whenever there is need of me, mother. I promise it." Diana said.

Hippolyta could hardly argue with a deity, no matter that the goddess was her daughter. As the goddess of truth, Diana would not lie to her. The Amazon queen nodded, embracing her child once more. "Then I will hope each day for your return. Your sisters will honor you tomorrow as planned- both as a fallen warrior and a patron goddess."

Diana bowed her head out of respect for her mother, though her eyes quickly fell in a glance toward Clark. "Thank you, mother. Now, may I please walk with Clark? I believe he and I have many things to discuss."

Hippolyta smiled. "Who am I to deny a goddess? Go on, both of you."


	30. Chapter 30

Beside her, Clark walked down the footpath. It was familiar to him. He knew that it would lead from the palace, through the forest and down to the shore's edge. He remembered walking this same path weeks ago, in a haze of sorrow and frustration after Diana had sacrificed herself to Ares, willingly flying into the flames of Tartarus.

How long ago had that been? A month? Two?

Clark didn't know for sure- he felt that he knew nothing, for nothing was entirely certain. Not even death. He had "died" once, and now, so had Diana. She did, however, look wonderful for a wandering spirit.

"I'm not a spirit. I'm a goddess now."

He stopped and turned to her. Diana was before him, her feet hovering above the ground. She was radiating a soft white light, the light of Truth. Her cape billowed out behind her, waving on an unseen wind. Her hair flowed out with it. It occurred to him that Diana now existed on a new plane, far removed from anything experienced on the earth. Was she even really there with him?

"I didn't say...nevermind."

Clark walked on, moving farther down the footpath toward the shore. Diana frowned as she watched him walk on without her. What was wrong with him? Why wasn't he happy to see her?

She had been overjoyed at Hera's decree. That Diana was a goddess and not a ghost translated into her freedom to speak with her friends, her family. To assure them of her love, to give them strength should they need it. Becoming a goddess had meant that she and Clark weren't over- they could still have more of what they'd built that first night in Metropolis and then later, the sweetness they'd shared in Smallville.

But Clark had not touched her, he'd hardly even smiled at her return. Why?

She drifted after him down the path.

Clark had already reached the end, and he stood on the sands of the Themysciran shore.

"Clark? Please, speak to me. Tell me what troubles you."

He let out a breath. "I just...you died, Diana. I refused to believe that you could, that after what you went through with Ares, that they would let you die. But you did. You fell apart in my hands. And now you're back again."

She stood before him, unsure of what to say. "I'm sorry that...I know how hard it must have been to see that happen. I know. I felt the same when Toyman killed you as you were trying to save me."

"It's not the same. Things have changed between us since then."

"Do you regret that they have?"

There was a short silence. Diana felt as if she lived another thousand years in the quiet that lasted only a moment between them. Clark shook his head and took a step forward, reaching for her hands as he did so. He ignored how cold she felt- it didn't matter, so long as he could explain himself to her. "No, Diana. I can't regret what's happened between us. That first night we had together in Metropolis was the best night I've ever...what I mean to say is..."

Clark struggled for a way to express what he meant. He wanted to explain that the night he took her virginity had been more about physical pleasure to him, that it had been something he'd never thought he would be able to experience, that her strength and trust in him had been gifts, and-

"I understand you completely, Clark. Before, I had had no way to voice it, but now there is no restraint on my words. What we shared that night was transcendent for us both. You know this. You, who had never once known the whole oblivion of a woman's body, and me, who had never lain with a man."

He blushed and issued a nervous smile, feeling embarassed to be speaking of their night so openly, and even feeling a touch guilty for enjoying this complete honesty. These were things that need to be said.

Diana reached forward, pressing her cold hands to Clark's face, holding him so that she could look in his eyes. "I know that my death destroyed a part of you- a part that had barely had time to blossom. I know my rebirth as an Olympian is unnerving to you. But I would have you accept me as I am, Clark, because I am still the Diana you remember from the League, Metropolis, and Smallville. I am Dia-"

His lips claimed hers in a fierce, fiery kiss. Clark's hands clasped to her body, bringing her close against him.

The taste of the woman, the feel of her. She was different and unchanged. Vulnerable and strong. Timid and bold. A pack of contradictions, a being of duality.

She was Diana. From the very first day to her last, she was Diana.

* * *

"Diana is back."

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Bats. She visited me while I was getting out of the shower, repaying me for all my jokes over the years, I guess."

Bruce narrowed his eyes at Wally.

"I want to believe it's really her just as much as you all do, but can we trust that this is the real Diana here?" Shayera asked.

Diana had made personal visits to all of her close friends in the League, splitting herself several times to make contact. Bruce, Wally and John had been surprised to find Diana in their civilian homes, while Shayera had been shocked to find Diana suddenly riding the air currents beside her over the Grand Canyon, and J'onn had felt Diana's presence bursting into his mind.

"Well, I'm sure we all asked it...asked _her_if she was the real Diana, right?" John asked. "The only thing I can think of is to wait for her to make another appearance and have Zatana or Dr. Fate do a reading."

Wally raised his eyebrows. "Would they be able to tell if she was a real goddess or not? I mean, they were both knocked out the second they tried to touch her curse. I think Olympus packs a heavy punch, can we ask that they risk themselves again?"

Shayera shook her head. "We'll have to. I don't see another way."

"We don't need to. It _is_ Diana." The group turned to the unlikely objection. Mari raised an eyebrow and smiled lightly at John. "I know it's her."

Shayera rolled her eyes. "And how can you be so sure? What did you do, smell her?"

Mari frowned at Shayera's sarcasm. Really, was a man worth so much tension in the League? "No, I didn't smell her. Even if I did, Diana has a whole new form and wouldn't smell the same anyway. I asked her something that only the real Diana would have known. Did anyone else try that?"

There was an embarassed shifting of weight from everyone around the table. Mari nodded. "I thought so. Look, I know I'm no Wonder Woman, but I'm not exactly useless either. I felt her presence before I saw her, so I wasn't as shocked as you all might have been. I had a second to get my thoughts together before she made her appearance in my apartment."

"What happened, Mari?" John asked her. Despite the tension that had arisen with inviting Mari to join the inner workings of the League, he had to admit that the woman had more brains than anyone gave her credit for. He liked that about her, that and many other things...

Mari cleared her throat. "When Diana was here after we first learned about her curse, I was with her in the medical bay. She and I got to talking and I recalled something she told me- so when Diana paid me my little visit, I asked her about it. Only the real Diana would have known about our conversation in the medical bay because we were alone."

Wally hooted. "Wow, Mari! Great work, I wish I'd thought of that. I guess I was just so shocked I couldn't think of a way to find out if she was the real deal."

"Maybe that's what this impostor was counting on." Bruce said.

John shook his head. "Do we even know anyone who could pull off this kind of scam? If it is an impostor, then he would have had to have known where we all were- be it while living life out of the costume or in mid air-and appear to us all at the same time."

"I'm telling you, this is Diana." Mari insisted.

"But can you be sure? What did you talk to her about in the medical bay that has you so convinced?" Shayera pressed her.

Mari pressed her lips together. "I can't say. I don't want to betray Diana's trust. You'll just have to trust me."

Shayera scowled. Trusting Vixen wasn't likely, but at the moment she didn't see much of a choice.


	31. Chapter 31

"Where are we?"

Diana shrugged lightly. "Olympus. We are outside of time in this realm. Do you like it?"

Clark looked around them, but there wasn't much he cared to see. The room they were in was an exact replica of Diana's room in the palace of Themyscira. He moved to the columns at the balcony and looked out to an endless sky. He could only see a part of the rest of the fabled Mount; the temples and gardens that faced all angles, hanging suspended in the air. It was so strange, all of it. Strange and beautiful, and so like the woman who had brought him there.

Diana was a goddess, this would be her realm now.

He turned back to find her reclining on the large bed that dominated her bedchamber. Somehow, the bed seemed larger than it had only a moment ago. His pulse quickened at the sight, doubly so as he caught the gleam in her eye. It was clear to him now, why Diana had brought him to her new home. She meant to have him, and the woman wouldn't take _'No'_ for an answer.

"Diana, I-"

Before Clark could blink, she had brought him forward, down onto the bed. Her lips fell upon his, claiming him with a heat that branded his flesh. Through her magic, his clothes disappeared along with hers. He gripped her shoulders and pushed her back from him, laughing despite himself. "Diana, Diana, slow down."

For the first time, Clark used his might against her, and rolled Diana beneath him. He held her down, and Diana laughed under the weight of his body, full and vivacious. Her fingers speared through his hair and she pulled him down to her, kissing him again, deep but not so furious this time. Her body arched against his, brushing against his arousal, tempting him beyond reason. This woman, she was so...

"I am now the goddess of all truth, Clark. Don't try lying or putting me off to be a gentleman. This is want we both want. Come, give in!"

Her voice shivered down his body. Their first night, she had not been so forward. It had been wonderful, but Diana had not had the experience of a true woman. Now, she was beyond a woman, she was a _goddess_- every aspect of her being was magnified. Her beauty, her strength, the power of her love for him.

Clark felt his love for her burn through him, the fierce searing joy of it. Diana didn't crumble apart in his hands- she was here, she was alive, she was powerful, and nothing would take her from him again. He couldn't help but laugh, his own laugh just as true as her own. "You do cut right to the chase, don't you?"

Diana kissed his forehead, then nipped his earlobe. Clark shivered. "It's all part of my new life here. Please, Clark. If you want to leave, I'll take you back. But know that I want you and in our time together, I've come to love you. You know that's the truth. I want you to stay. What do you want?"

Clark looked into her eyes- blue eyes, just like his. Her body was so warm and inviting beneath his, and he had wanted her again since their first night in Metropolis. He could feel his body screaming to be united with hers.

He kissed her collarbone, the slope of her neck, her jaw. Diana closed her eyes and shifted under the weight of his body. There it was. She wanted him, she trusted him. They were a match in their strength and ideals. They were not perfect beings, but they could be perfect for each other. Clark bent his nead and kissed her, deeply. "You know what I want."

* * *

Above his head, the heavenly sky of Olympus flowed with trails of stars and wisps of clouds. He was in a bedchamber brought forth from Diana's memory of her home on earth. All around him was a wealth of godly power and magic as old as the earth itself. Clark thought nothing of it all, his mind was dancing with satisfaction and the joy of returned love.

Diana loved him, it was as if nothing else could matter. Nothing did, not now that he had a woman who knew him so well, a woman who he had nothing to hide from.

Clark had someone he could share his life with, a woman he would never betray in his heart and could never hurt in his passion. The thought crossed his mind that Diana was likely more powerful than him now. He would have to take care to stay in her good graces...he would enjoy finding new ways to do just that...

Diana stirred slightly beside him. The wealth of her hair was spread across his chest, her head tucked delicately under his chin. All she wore were her golden arm bands; perhaps she'd chosen to wear them as a reminder of her Amazon heritage. Clark sighed happily. They had made love several times before giving in to the pull for rest, but she was not asleep. Clark wondered briefly if she even needed sleep now that she was a goddess. Did she actually need anything anymore? Food, sleep, anything?

"I only need you, Clark."

She had spoken, but her eyes had not opened and her lips had not moved. He laughed. "What a skill! I'll have to get used to the new you."

Diana opened her eyes to look at him. She sat up, bringing the bed sheet up to cover her chest. "I'm not a new Diana. I'm the same, but changed."

Clark shook his head. "No, I just meant all these new things you can do."

She nodded. For some reason, she seemed suddenly distant. Her eyes were staring out past the balcony, though what she could see, Clark had no idea. He reached for her, but Diana rose from the bed, bringing forth her tunic and cape. They seemed to flow out from nothingness to clothe her body. After only a moment, Diana was dressed once more in the regal attire that revealed her as a fledgling goddess. She moved to the silvered mirror on the far wall of the room.

_This isn't the way it's supposed to be- what happened?_

Clark kept the bed sheet about his waist and approached her carefully.

"Diana, what's the matter? Please, tell me." He put a hand on her shoulder and turned her to him.

Diana molded her body against him in their embrace, and she sighed in deep disappointment. "Clark, I am sorry. You must go."

"Go? I thought we were-"

"Now."

An instant later and Clark found himself standing nude in his own bedroom in Metropolis, more confused than he'd ever been in all his life.

* * *

"Where were you? I've been trying to reach you for the past hour."

Clark looked away from Bruce. It had been a hell of a night, the whole of the League had been rattled by Diana's death and now, her sudden resurrection. Half of them still couldn't believe that the figure that visited them was the real Diana as they'd known her. The other half was eager for her to come back and take her place as the heroine they remembered.

"I...I was on Themyscira."

"Was she there?"

He looked up. "Yes. She said that she'd visited the League."

"She came to see all of us, claiming she'd been made into a goddess. What do you think?"

Clark had come to be in the WatchTower after Diana had left him in his apartment after their time on Olympus. He'd barely had time to throw on his clothes before Bruce had willfully transported him to League headquarters. A part of him wanted to tell Bruce everything that had happened, but it was far too intimate- Clark wasn't accustomed to sharing such details, and besides that, Bruce often rejected his attempts to deepen their tentative friendship; Batman had no time for friends or women. He was married to Gotham, to the never ending battle against evil in all its forms.

He decided not to say anything about their time together until he could speak to Diana again, and understand why she had abandoned him in Metropolis. "It's really her, Bruce. Trust me."

Behind the cowl, Bruce narrowed his eyes. "This...whatever it is going on between you, are you sure it's not clouding your judgement?"

Clark straightened. He knew what Bruce was implying and he didn't like it. "It's Diana, Bruce. You knew it the second she came to you, and you know it."

They were in the monitor room. Miles below them, the earth spun in space, a delicate green and blue marble of life. Batman sat before him, his fingers tented. He was unconvinced and suspicious; the wandering thought came to him again and again. With so many that had died and risen, why were his parents still in the ground, dead to him and all the world, unable to return and fill the void that had formed in his heart?

Bruce shook off the more maudlin of his thoughts. "I know it looked like her, but she disappeared before I could get any real answers."

"She's not a suspect for you to interrogate all night, Bruce." Clark grated. "I don't think she can stay on this plane for long periods of time, or maybe they needed her on Olympus. I don't know. What else can we do but wait for her to come back?"

"You don't have a way to contact her?"

Clark shook his head. "No. There's no Wonder signal to bring her back. What do the others think about her...reappearance?"

Bruce stood and brought forward the profiles of the League members that Diana had visited. "She came to us all at roughly the same time. Shayera was flying, and claims that Diana just appeared in the air next to her. The rest of us, she appeared in our homes. J'onn claimed her voice sounded out in his mind. He wasn't in her physical presence. This impostor might know of his psychic abilities, which explains why she didn't come to him directly."

"Aren't you listening? There is no impostor, it's Diana."

"How do you know?"

"Because I...well, I just do. You'll see, we just have to wait for her to come back."

Bruce was silent. He didn't know how Clark could remain so convicted, but even he could admit that a small part of him hoped Clark was right.

* * *

Diana entered the grand hall of Olympus, the realm of the queen. For all of the beauty to be found on Olympus, the hall of the royals remained as the most ornate, the most elegant and the room echoed with a millenia of quiet power. Diana moved before the throne where Hera sat, and she dropped into a kneeling position. "I beg your forgiveness, my queen."

The goddess on the throne, such a figure of grace and dignity, raised a brow and laughed. "You've been with us for the blink of an eye. What could you have done, my child?"

Diana swallowed, readying herself for punishment. "I brought my lover, a mortal, to the Olympic plane."

Hera only rolled her eyes as she stood from the throne, coming toward this young goddess who was so full of hope and love, she who had a deep-rooted dedication to helping the mortals. Hera stood before her and touched Diana's hair, signaling her to rise. "Diana, I did not summon you to present a punishment for such a thing. Many of your goddess-sisters have done the same. Even my swine of a husband has brought his human playthings here- though he has not done since, when I changed his last tryst into a beast. Take heart, I summoned you here to alert you of something else, something of great importance."

Diana stood from her kneeling position and faced Hera. "What is it?"

"Ares, my dear. He is to come to Olympus."


	32. Chapter 32

Ares will soon come to Olympus.

Diana had excused herself from Hera's presence, pleading the need for reflection. The goddess-queen had nodded in understanding, allowing Diana to leave her hall.

The fledgling goddess of Olympus, the newborn Goddess of Truth, flew over the Mount and returned to her chambers. Diana stood in the center of the room, great swells of dread rushing over her.

_Ares. The God of War. The Deceiver. The one who had...he..._

Diana shut out the memories that threatened to overwhelm her, drown her in that horrific feeling of helplessness. Yes, she had been helpless in Tartarus. Her power stripped away, her body restrained and left vulnerable to Ares's every cruel whim. Her only salvation had come in the memories she'd carried from her first night with Clark in Metropolis. Her motivations for going to him had been pragmatic: his strength was a match to her own, and he was a great man. Diana admitted that she might have gone to him for the comfort she knew he would provide. And she had been in need of comfort that night, and every night since her return from the flames.

The room carried evidence of the time Clark had spent in her chambers. The bed was rumpled. Their scent drifted lightly in the air.

Ares would come to Olympus. Why? Why now, when she and Clark were mending, when they had a chance to be happy? Why must every hint of peace be snuffed by some crisis or another? Bitter tears welled in her eyes.

Diana sank onto the edge of her bed, the dread growing stronger. Fear was not forbidden to the Amazons, and nor was it unknown to the gods. Diana feared Ares, and hated herself for it. She had survived him, she had not broken under his torture- she had survived by using her memories of love as a shield against his attacks. After emerging from the flames of Tartarus, she had found strength in love. She had beaten him.

And yet, as the very mention of Ares, Diana was terrified.

* * *

Clark reclined on the bed in his quarters. The WatchTower was buzzing about Diana's return, but he was tired of going over the story again and again. After the grief of Themyscira and the joy of knowing that Diana was alive, and so quickly followed by the relief of making love and then the confusion of her abandonment, Clark was more than just tired. He felt exhausted, frustrated.

He'd only told the others what Diana had told him about her transformation into a deity, nothing more. He understood their curiosity- he had more than a few things to ask Diana himself, but there was nothing to do but wait until she came to him again. As he'd told Bruce, he had no way to initiate contact with her. Diana was a goddess now, and free to come and go as she pleased. After bringing him to her chambers on the Olympic plane, they had made love, and Diana had wasted no time in sending him back to earth.

Vaguely, Clark wondered if he should feel used.

"I am sorry."

His eyes snapped open and Clark sat up in bed. Diana was standing in his room, radiating the white light of her power. "Diana, what are you doing here?"

Her light dimmed considerably, and she moved toward him. There she was, just as beautiful as she had always been, though even in her perfection Clark could see that she was troubled by something. She sat on the edge of his bed, facing him. "I came to see you, though I would understand if you sent me away. What was meant to be a special time for us was cut short. I regret that."

Clark shook his head. "I wasn't angry with you, just confused. What happened?"

"I was summoned by Hera. I was afraid for you, that's why I sent you away."

He nodded. "It's all right. Everyone wants to see you, Diana. The whole League is talking about it."

Diana blinked. "I want to see them as well. But not just yet."

"What's the matter?" Clark opened his arms to her and Diana gratefully returned his embrace.

"I just...there are things happening on Olympus. Things I must confront."

"Can I help?"

Diana shook her head. "No. It is something I must do myself." She pulled from his arms and kissed him, deeply.

"I know you'll be all right." Clark said as he nuzzled her neck.

Diana closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the intimacy of it. The sensation of another body against hers, especially a man's, especially Clark's, was still so new and exciting. "I wish I had your faith in me. I'm afraid..."

"What? Diana, talk to me, what is it?" Clark's eyes pleaded with her to share her troubles, but Diana only shook her head.

"I will tell you. But not now. I should address the League. They've been waiting for me to come back."

Diana stood and waited for Clark to dress. Together they left his quarters.

* * *

"...and I am now the one Goddess of Truth, newborn of Olympus."

The League sat, dumbfounded after Diana released them from the trance of her memory. She had shown them her revelation as a goddess in the same way that she had shown Clark and her mother.

Speed was a great power to possess- not only did he have the wittiest retorts, but Flash's quick mind was the first to recover from the daze of the enchantment. "Wow, that was so...Diana, you're really you!"

Diana nodded. She was hovering just beside the windows that overlooked the earth. Her expression had relaxed somewhat now that she ended the vision, but she still seemed a little distracted. To Clark, it seemed as if she was hearing voices that they couldn't, and she didn't like what she heard. Something was bothering her, but she had put off his concern.

At Flash's happiness, Diana smiled. "Yes, it's truly me."

Vixen shifted slightly in her chair. "Well, now that you're back I'm sure you'll be wanting your place back."

Diana raised a brow. "What?"

Mari shook her head. "There's not a woman I know who could fill your shoes, Diana. I might have won the contest, but there's only one Wonder Woman."

Clark brightened at Mari's coment. Diana, back in the League. Diana, fighting by his side as his teammate and now, as his lover...

"I thank you, but I cannot."

A ripple of surprise spread through the room. Flash was again the first to react. "Diana, what are you talking about? You've got to come back to the League! We're not really _us_ without you!"

"I can't. Doing so would mean I would be interfering with mortals directly."

Shayera stood from her chair, her eyes snapping fire. "Since when has being a diety stopped anyone from your pantheon interfering with mortals? What about Ares? What about Hades?"

Diana shook her head. "They do not reside on the Mount for the very reason that they chose to attack humans. I am sorry, more than you could know, but I cannot reclaim my title as Wonder Woman. While I am a goddess, I must abide by the laws of Olympus."

Disappointment pervaded the room. Any hope for the return of Wonder Woman was stripped by Diana's words.

* * *

"They are angry with me. They feel betrayed."

Clark looked up. Diana was sitting up in bed, the bedsheet pooled over her lap. The long line of her back was glowing pale in the dim light of the moon coming in through his window. He wondered if Diana could control her radiant light, if the glow was somehow a reflection of her emotions. "They'll be upset for a while, but they won't be angry forever. I think they're more disappointed. They wanted their Wonder Woman back."

"I know. I want to come back, I do, but I am not sure if that is where I belong now. Hera gave birth to me as a goddess, I cannot renounce that."

Clark put his hand on her back, splaying his fingers over her skin. "You've never lied, Diana. No one would expect you to start now, not after all that you've been through. When I first learned what I really was, it was like waking up one day and realizing I was a whole new person. Was it like that for you?"

"In a way. I am the same Diana I have always been, but still changed. No longer an Amazon, I will be worshipped by them. I cannot be Wonder Woman, but I know my name will always be associated with that title. I will remain a goddess and use my power to foster the ideals of truth- to guide humans, not bend them to my will." Diana leaned back and curled against him. "My only regret is that in accepting my rebirth as a goddess, I have given up my life as a champion. I cannot fight the good fight, I can only observe it."

Clark stroked her hair and her back. He felt for Diana; she had spent her life knowing that she would someday act as the champions for her gods, but her mission had been cut short and she was rendered effectively helpless by the decree of Olympus.

However, Clark knew that there had to be something more than that; Diana wasn't easily rattled, but Clark knew that she was deeply troubled by more than just her friends' disappointment that she could not return as a heroine. She would tell him when she was ready, he knew, and he hoped that when she did, that he would be able to help.


	33. Chapter 33

Diana took her place on the pantheon dais. It was an astounding thing, to be surrounded by the gods that made her, that she had worshipped all her life. Some of them had altered their appearance to reflect modern times while several others remained in the Grecian garb that distinguished them as beings borne of the heavens. Zeus and Hera sat on their golden thrones in the center, their faces grim and determined.

Ares would be arriving soon to demand Aphrodite's freedom.

The Goddess of Love and Beauty, just one of Diana's patrons, had been held as ultimately responsible for the ordeal that lead to Diana's humiliation by Ares. His demand for her to replace Aphrodite by his side had been sanctioned by Zeus; the master of Olympus was beyond anyone's reproach, the pantheon could not punish the king. But Aphrodite's pettiness had lead to Ares's demands, her jealousy had been the cause of Diana's mortal death.

Hera had given Diana the gift of life, bringing forth her soul into the form of a god. Diana, the Goddess of Truth. By Hera's decree, Aphrodite was imprisoned within an enchated vase. Her fate rested in Diana's hands, to be decided at a later date. Diana herself was still unsure what task she could hand to Aphrodite- though the beautiful goddess had caused her unimaginable pain, Diana could not ignore that it was Aphrodite's blessings which had allowed her to find love with Clark.

Diana drew her cape forward to cover herself and wrung her hands in her lap. Truth rang out in her heart: she was afraid of Ares. Even knowing that he would not attack her, knowing that she was surrounded by the power of Olympus...not of it put her at ease. Ares and his demons had gloried in attacking her, and now the God of War would stand before the pantheon and demand that she release Aphrodite. She feared him, but more than that, she feared what he would do when he was denied. Ares was not known for his patience, understanding or acceptance.

Diana startled as a hand came over her shoulder. She turned to find the kind face of Demeter above her. The Goddess of the Harvest smiled down at her, offering silent comfort. Demeter took her place beside Diana at the dais.

More gods began to arrive in the grand hall; some simply strode in, and some arrived in bolds of speed and light- Diana had learned that Hermes and Apollo loved nothing more than to race each other across the sky. Apollo waved to both Diana and Demeter as he entered the hall, then took his seat beside his twin, Artemis. Unlike his rival, Hermes approached her immediately. Diana favored Hermes; his humor was a familiar comfort, much like the Flash's jokes when the League was intent to face down their deadly enemies.

He came to her and took the empty seat on her right. Hermes enveloped Diana in his embrace, then braced her shoulders to look in her eyes. "You are more beautiful every day, Diana. I will wait another millenia for the time when you abandon this love for your mortal man and bind yourself to me."

She playfully shoved at him, thankful for his attempt to lighten her mood. "You have said that to every goddess on the Mount, great Hermes. Am I to believe that I have a special place in your heart?"

"Every goddess holds a place in my heart, but you I admire more than any other being in existence- we created in you a champion, and though you were brought to Olympus by Aphrodite's anger, never has there been a more beloved goddess. Believe me when I tell you, Ares will never trump you in carrying favor. I will forever be on your side."

Diana could sense the truth in the soft eyes of Hermes, and there was a fair amount of genuine love as well. Hermes was a flirt, but a part of him was in love with her. Regret lanced through her; the guilt that she could not bind herself to Hermes, that her love for Clark would bring pain to her patron.

Hermes shook his head. "Carry no guilt for your love, Diana. The Superman has earned your love. Perhaps when his mortal coil comes to its natural end, you will allow me to comfort you in your grief, and then earn your favor in fairness."

His words struck Diana deeply, so powerful that she could not speak.

_For all his strength, Clark is still a mortal- there will come a day when his life will end..._

Hermes leaned in closer and kissed Diana on her forehead, lending her his strength and comfort.

In the center floor of the hall, there was a sudden burst of flames, the stench of death and fury, the blindingheat of Tartarus.

Ares had arrived.

* * *

"Give her space, move back!"

Diana felt her mind swimming, struggling to break the gray fog that had come over her. She opened her eyes to the faces of her beloved gods, all of them looking at her with great concern. Hermes was closest to her, and helped her to her feet. His hand remained on the small of her back to steady her as she regained herself.

"What happened to me?"

Apollo spoke up. "You tried to attack Ares, but before you could deliver him any punishment, Zeus struck you down."

Images, words and flashes of action were returning to her, bubbling forth to the forefront of her mind despite the pain of Zeus's blow to her.

Ares's fury at the revelation that Aphrodite would be held accountable for the curse she'd put on Diana. The echoing of his own damning words, his earth-shattering vow of vengeance, his promise to...to...

Diana's eyes widened in horror and she turned to Demeter. "Ares- he said, he claimed that he would- but, no, no, we were protected..."

_"You all clamor over this Amazon-turned-goddess, this experiment in your foolish waste of power. Fine, then. If you refuse to free Aphrodite, let it be known that I will wage a war to end the Amazons once and for all as the price of your weakness."_

The words of Ares had awakened an animal rage in Diana's heart- she had lunged at Ares, only to be struck down by Zeus, the father of all arrogance. He who cared nothing for the Amazons, and only wished to observe how the campaign of Ares would play out on earth.

Diana let go of her fear- her warrior prowess took over, giving her the clear mind and calmness she would need to move forward, to protect her family and put a stop to the God of War once more.

"I will return to Themyscira and stop him, too many of my Amazons have fallen to evil and I cannot allow him to"

"You will do nothing of the sort, Diana, Goddess of Truth."

The gods turned their attention to the cool authority of Hera, the queen of Olympus. The Goddess of Women, Marriage and Birth. True power radiated from the queen, perhaps even more so than from Zeus himself. Hera turned her golden gaze on Diana. "Only those gods ejected from Olympus may interfere with the morals. We on the Mount observe, and only act with whispers of gentle guidance. You will not fight Ares on the sands of Themyscira. Should you disobey this decree, you will find yourself in disfavor, and cursed once again."

Hera then turned her back on Diana, striding out of the grand hall, leaving her words to echo throughout the heavens.

* * *

Clark was reviewing a set of proofs for an article at his apartment in Metropolis, unaware of the turmoil brewing on Olympus. He marked a misspelled word as he sipped a cup of coffee and tried to ignore the subtle longing in his heart.

Diana had disappeared again.

She had come to visit him in his home the night before, distracted and worried as ever. When he asked what was wrong, she would attempt to brush his concern to the side. He did not think that she was truly lying to him, but he knew that she was trying to hide something from him. What could it be?

He shivered suddenly, and a moment later his League communicator buzzed in his ear. "Superman, we have a situation."

J'onn's voice revealed just enough urgency to tighten his stomach. The Martian was typically so stoic that any emotion detected in his voice was always a cause for concern. Clark put his work aside and activated his teleporter.

After a shimmering journey of five seconds, Clark Kent was gone, replaced with Superman on board the WatchTower. He blinked and saw John and Shayera hurrying toward the monitor room. He quickly fell into step with them. "What's going on?"

John shrugged. "No idea. Things have been pretty quiet since Darkseid, but things never stay quiet for long."

They entered the monitor room to find J'onn, Batman, Flash and Vixen staring intently at the screen. The Flash looked up as they came into the room. "What took you guys so long?! We've got a huge problem here!"

Shayera tightened her grip on her mace, allowing its energy to crackle in the air. "Well, we're here now, so do you mind telling us what's happening?"

J'onn brought the screen into view. "It's Themyscira. A storm has come over the island, but infared scope has picked up intense heat flares."

Batman narrowed his eyes. "Tartarus again. Can you zoom in?"

"The storm over the island is too thick, we won't be able to see anything- the island's center has errupted to the surface." No one could dismiss the worry in the alien's voice.

Vixen turned to them. "So what are we waiting for? I'll drive."

* * *

Clark's initial dread had increased tenfold as the Javelin sliced through the storm that hovered over Themyscira. With Diana's death and her rebirth as a goddess, and now with her recent erratic fear, he knew that something horrible had to be happening. Tartarus errupting to take over the island, perhaps the world- how long had Diana known that this would happen? Why hadn't she told him?

The island came into view- Themyscira in flames.

The League was silent as they took in the damage done to what they could all agree was a true paradise. Shayera felt a pain in her heart; she and Diana had spent a day in Themyscira after going through Tartarus. Once the Amazons had recognized her as a fellow warrior, they had welcomed her, shown her the beauty of the island, the richness of the culture. It seemed that it was all in ruins now.

Mari lowered the Javelin and landed on the shore, in case the need came where they would need to make a quick getaway. She had never seen this island before, but even so, she knew that something beautiful and precious had been destroyed. Some evil had been turned loose in an attack against the Amazons, and they had to fight to stop it.

The League got out of the plane and scanned the area. Mari touched her talisman, calling forth an eagle's vision. Instantly, her eyes were raptor-sharp. "I can see...oh, no."

John put a hand over her shoulder. "What is it?"

"There's a group of Amazons chained together. The queen is with them. But there's somethng off about this..."

Clark swallowed his dread, pushing his deep worry for Diana out of his mind and instead focusing on what needed to be done. "All right. Our first concern should be rescue. Find any Amazons you can and bring them back here. We can teleport the injured to the WatchTower for medical attention. If this is Tartarus, we're dealing with the undead, demons. Be careful out there."

The League spread out, heading toward the pillar of flames that enveloped the capitol city.

* * *

Superman landed just inside the gates of the city, and he ran to the group of chained Amazons that Vixen hd spotted. Hippolyta looked up at him, her face bruised and bloody. "Superman?"

He knelt before her and broke the manacles circling her wrists. "Yes, it's me. I'll get you to a safe place, I promise."

"He's coming back."

"What? Who's coming back?"

"Me."

In the blink of an eye, Hippolyta morphed from an Amazon queen into the God of War. Ares stood before Clark, just as arrogant and cruel as he remembered him from the day that Diana had walked into the flames. This time, Ares had laid siege to the entire island and clearly wasn't ready to stop his attack with Themyscira.

"No!"

Ares sneered at Superman. "Oh, yes. Your arrival has just cemented my vengeance. It's to be a trade- Aphrodite for the Amazons. The Olympians refused me, but will they refuse the cries of one of their own?"

Superman lunged at Ares, but the god was too fast, too powerful. Ares stuck him down, slamming him into a pillar. The earth shook. Without waiting, Ares delivered to Superman a rain of harsh blows, punching, kicking, taking sadistic joy in each connected strike.

He dragged Superman by his hair, past the half-destroyed palace, until he reached the crumbling ruins of the temple erected in tribute to Diana.

"Tell me now, O, Goddess of Truth, will you allow your love to sacrafice himself to protect your people while you sit on the Mount, watching from the clouds? Face me, timid whore of Hermes! Show me that you are still Diana, champion of the Amazons and every bit the warrior!"

Silence was his answer.

No voice rang out to answer his challenge, no parting of the smokey sky to allow a path for the world it's finest heroine.

Only the crackling of the flames and the crumbling of the city's buildings could be heard. Every other voice had been silenced.

Ares narrowed his eyes, and then tightened his grip on Clark's neck. Diana had not answered his challenge. Perhaps more urgency was needed to bring her forward.

The god released Superman, who sagged to the side in a heap of defeat. Ares watched him for a moment, this _thing_ called Superman. He had been tricked so easily by the illusion of Amazons taken prisoner- this mortal was a fool, surely, and so for all his strength, he was no match for Ares.

This glorified mortal, this pathetic cub, _this _was the man that the humans worshipped so? This was the being rumored to have the strength of a god? Ares couldn't help himself, he had to laugh. Superman attempted to stand and face him, but Ares pushed him to his knees, laughing still.

If this was their gratest hero, then the mortals must have grown dumber with each passing age, Ares was sure of it now.

Ares stood behind Superman, who was too wracked with pain to notice. He held out his hand and summoned his favored weapon.

A sword of flame came into being, another deadly creation brought forth for him by Hephaestus.

Ares wanted Diana to come crawling from the Mount, begging his forgiveness and bearing Aphrodite in trade. He called out for her one last time. "O, Diana- in my vengeance I have laid ruin to your Amazons and you did not come forward with Aphrodite. Will you allow your lover to pay the price of your cowardice?!"

His voice rang out over the island and still, there was no reply.

In a particularly human gesture, Ares shrugged to himself. "Here, then. I will show you the cost of ignoring the command of Ares, the God of War."

Ares raised the sword, and brought it down over Superman's head.


	34. Chapter 34

Clark closed his eyes, bracing for pain, for death.

He could hear the flaming sword slicing through the air, he could feel its heat coming closer.

Clark braced, but there was nothing.

Ares stared at his sword-arm. He had meant to bring the blade down on the Superman's head in a killing strike. But his arm...frozen, as if in a vice invisible to his eyes. He sneered and pulled against this force that had dared imprison him, but it held fast, a clamping grip held his wrist frozen in space. "What magic is this?!" He roared in a humiliated fury.

Clark opened his eyes, and smiled. He turned around to see Ares, the great God of War, with his arm in the air before him, and unable to free himself. The sight would have been funny if he hadn't almost died a moment ago.

"You cut it a little close, didn't you?"

From nothingness, Diana revealed herself. She stood before Ares with her feet planted, her entire being resolved to end the war-god's carnage against the Amazons and indeed, all of humanity. She held the sword-arm of Ares in a paralyzing grip, her eyes aflame with determination. Clark couldn't help but marvel at the transformation she had undergone: in place of her royal blue cape and white tunic, Diana had attired herself in the full golden armor of her Amazon heritage. Gone was the ethereal goddess, replaced with an eternal warrior of deadly skill.

A small, wicked smile broke over her face. She answered Clark without breaking eye contact with Ares. The war god twisted, still struggling in her grasp, but Diana's strength proved true. "You know me, Clark. I like to make an entrance."

Clark felt his pulse quicken at her tone. He had seen Diana angry before, but this was different. Her cold rage was a match to the fury of Ares. This would not be a day typical to the League. This was to be a bloody war of the gods.

"Release me, you fool bitch- you dare oppose the God of War?!"

Diana looked to Clark. "Ares has had his demons trap my Amazon sisters in Tartarus. The others in the League are there as well. I can feel them. Go, Clark. I will take care of Zeus's boy."

She tightened her grip on the god's wrist, crushing his red armor, and Ares groaned from the pain. Clark knew that Diana had to handle this herself. He only hoped that when she was done, there would be enough left of Ares for him to finish off.

* * *

Diana watched as Clark flew off, toward the entrance to Tartarus. She already knew what he would find when he entered the gate.

Rage was swirling within her, churning like the sea in a hurricane. She released Ares from her grasp, and watched as he backed away a few steps, cradling his wrist in his other hand. Diana stood tall, ready for his attack. Ares glared at her. "For this insult, I will destroy your sisters. They will share the same fate in Tartarus that you suffered. Tell me now, princess, do you think any of them are strong enough to survive such an onslaught?"

To his surprise and immediate anger, Diana smiled at him. "God of War you may be, Ares, but you are no warrior. I have defied my queen Hera- not to cast the same humiliation upon you that you bestowed me. Not to kill you, no. Though I am loathe to admit it, the war and hate you command are as much a part of life as love or truth. I came here to protect my Amazons-"

"They'll be the Amazon whores for my army-"

"They are _my Amazons. _Nothing will ever be yours but for the rivers of mortal blood you delight in shedding. Perhaps we cannot change what we are. You are a low god, Ares, son of Zeus. And goddess though I might be, my heart will _always_ reflect a true Amazon. Look at you." Diana laughed at him again, at last letting go of her fear and anger. Her power of truth was stronger than ever before. She could see Ares for what he truly was now. "You incite little wars with your little human pawns- the mortals are vulnerable to your power. I am not. Simply being in your presence can bend a man's will, force him to kill his own brother- this is the power of your own self-hatred. Your anger can inspire the humans to kill and lay waste to the land. The legacy of Ares is nothing but ruin, a reflection of the ruin you've made of yourself. Hear me now, God of War: I have not turned from Olympus for my own vengeance. I have come to forgive you."

The impact of Diana's words hung heavy over the island. Ares stared at her, primal fury radiated off his form. His lips curled in a snarl, his eyes were on fire for her. "I will unmake you, Diana!"

Diana closed her eyes for a moment, mourning poor Ares; his was a brilliant mind, but he would forever be trapped in a prison of fury. She had come to Themyscira to forgive the God of War, to plea for the release of her sisters. Amazon culture dictated that peace would always be the first path. They were warriors, but violence was always the last resort.

Still, she could admit that there was a small, tiny part of her that looked forward to humbling Ares before the eyes of the world.

She smiled at him, loving that it only added to his fury. "You are welcome to try, child of Zeus."

* * *

Clark flew through the empty city, unnerved by the silence of the island. When he had last been to Themyscira, the city had been filled with Amazons who mourned for their fallen princess, determined to bring honor to her memory. Since Diana's revelation as a goddess, Clark had been invited back and seen a new life breathed into the women. Their hope had been restored, their faith in Diana had been stronger than ever.

Seeing the island empty pained him. That the Amazons should be attacked by Ares and his army of demons so soon after Diana's return seemed a tragedy to him.

He glided over the ruins of the city, searching for the entrance to Tartarus. That doorway into hell...the one place in Themyscira that he'd hoped never to see again. All at once, it hit him like a sledgehammer: the blinding heat, the putrid stench of the dead.

Clark landed and drove his hands into the rubble of a fallen building. He dug, pulling rocks and broken columns out of the way until he could make it through to the mouth of the tunnel. The stench of the dead came over him, just as strong as it was the first day he'd come to Themyscira to help Diana. Thanks to Ares, he had to venture down to hell once more. It was the last thing he wanted to do, but for Diana, he would do anything.

He drifted through the tunnel, ducking his head where the tunnel's structure had cracked.

Finally, the tunnel opened into the great cavern of Amazon dead. The doorway loomed ahead, though the gate was not wide open, as he'd expected. The doors were open just enough to let the light of the flames beyond pour into the gloom of the cave.

There wasn't time to consider the oddness of it- his friends and the Amazons were trapped inside, being held by the demons of Ares. Every moment was precious, and Clark would not let anymore blood be spilled for the God of War.

He landed before the gate and pulled the doors apart.

"Well, well. I was wondering when Diana would send her boy down to save the day."

* * *

If Themyscira had been in ruins when Diana crossed onto the mortal plane, then the island was in near collapse by the time her latest strike drove Ares into the side of the mountain, splitting the rock, causing a rain of rubble and boulders. It pained her to see her homeland in such a state- she regretted causing so much damage, but a battle of gods by its very nature could not remain quiet.

Pieces of her armor had been shattered, her battle tunic was torn. The shreds hung from her frame, but Diana paid it no mind. She was a warrior goddess, an Amazon. Modesty had no place on the battlefield, and this was nothing if not a bloody, savage fight to the death. Ares had gloried in attacking and humiliating her, and now he threatened to do the same to her Amazons and her League.

She had given Ares her forgiveness, offered him peace; these were the tenants of Amazon heritage. Ares had spit in her face. While it was Diana's way to extend her hand in friendship, Ares had given her nothing but his harsh fists.

Violence was the last resort, but Ares had brought her to it.

Diana hovered over his prone form, his body twisted in the crater his impact had made at the base of the lone mountain of the island. "Have you had enough, Ares?"

His eyes snapped open at her question, the bright snarling red flames which had come to haunt her dreams on Olympus. "I will never have enough. And neither will my soldiers- as we speak, they amuse themselves with your mother and sisters!"

Again, the small, teasing smile touched Diana's lips. "You think so, Deceiver?"

"I oversaw their imprisonment myself, princess. It's amazing how compliant you Amazons become once your bracelets are chained, how weak your people truly are. Your own mother hardly put up a fight." Ares growled. He rose from the rubble, readying himself for the next stage of their battle.

"Ah, yes. That was only because she knew of your intentions before your arrival, nephew."

Diana delighted inside as she watched Ares's expression shift so quickly from arrogant determination to the incredible realization that Diana was not alone. His eyes widened, his jaw dropped. Ares, the great God of War, was actually afraid.

Diana's cavalry had arrived.

He turned to see Hades, standing strong and furious, flanked on one side by an irate Hippolyta dressed for battle and a clearly enraged Superman on the other. Warrior-trained Amazons eager for a fight, the members of the Justice League, and the demon-soldiers of Hades brought up the rear of the small army.

Ares glared. "You would betray me for these brats of Athena?!"

Hades shook his head, harboring an enormous rage. "You have defied the orders of Olympus by attacking this sacred place, and thought to use my realm to hold and torture your Amazon prisoners. You defiled Tartarus once already with your scheme to humiliate the Amazon champion. While I admire your initiative, Ares, if anyone is going to destroy this civilization and lay waste to its people, it will be _me."_

Diana took a step toward Ares. "Our battle has been savage. I beg you, Ares, let it end now, in peace-"

Without letting her finish, Ares struck her in the face. "The God of War bows to no one!"

"You monster, I'll cleave your head from your shoulders!" Hippolyta screamed as she raised her sword. She ran forward, but the strong grip of Hades held her back. He still had a debt to collect from the Amazon queen, she was no good to him if Ares killed her.

Clark shook his head and cracked his knuckles, moving toward Ares. "Allow me, ma'am"

It was back, the glory of unrestrained violence. Clark had only been able to let himself go in his battles with Darkseid. The new god had been the only being that could withstand the full force of his attacks- Clark had been dreaming of this opportunity for weeks, planning out his moves, picturing his victory.

For what he had done to Diana, for what he had tried to do to the Amazons and the League, Ares was _his._

The first blow he landed to Ares's smug, cruel face felt wonderful. The second, the third and fourth felt just as good. The earth shook, the air burned. Ares struck back with vicious strikes of his own. Clark didn't feel them for his rage. He and Ares tore into each other like wild dogs.

The Amazons and the League contented themselves with taking on the demons in Ares's employ.

Hippolyta drove her sword through a demon's neck. She spun her body, fully decapitating it. Another demon approached her and just as quickly met its end by her blade. She was a woman possessed, a mother turned loose on the creatures that had attacked her child. A warrior relishing the chance for battle.

Wally ducked as a demon swiped at him, entirely too slow and clumsy to pose a serious threat to him. "Come on, that's the best you can do? Show me something new!"

A rain of arrows punctured the demon, piercing its neck, chest and stomach. Wally looked up to see Artemis holding her bow with an irritated expression on her face. "You waste time playing games with these demons. Kill them quickly, they are not worth your words."

She took more arrows to her bow and moved off, killing another demon that threatened a sister Amazon. Wally could only stand, watching as she protected Amazon and Leaguer alike. She was beautiful and deadly. "I think I'm in love."

Vixen shoved him out of the way of a charging demon. "You can romance her later, Flash. If we live through this."

Wally looked around them. It was nothing but a sea of carnage- demons and Amazons ripped into each other with centuries' long fury. "Oh, this? You've been with the League long enough, Mari. Demons and hell-gods should be second-nature by now."

She shook her head. "I wouldn't go that far, babe. Given the choice, I think I'll stick with taking on the illegal poachers and bank robbers."

Bruce threw a pair of exploding batarangs at a large ogre and came to join the pair. Grouped with their backs facing each other, they were able to look out for more attacks. "We're heroes. We don't have a choice."

Flash looked up to see that Ares and Superman were in the air, tearing into each other. "There's always a choice. We wouldn't be in this war if Ares had chosen to accept Diana's offer."

Mari clawed at a demon, then kicked it into unconsciousness. "Well, he's the God of War. Is he even capable of accepting peace?"

Bruce retreated as a demon slashed its claws across his chest. "I'm out of ammo. A little help?"

From the sky, John's green beam of energy sliced into the demon that had attacked him. "Batman asking for help! I wish I'd brought my camera."

Bruce ignored the comment, only gracing John with his customary scowl. Mari called up to John, "How're things looking from up there? Are we winning?"

John landed and threw up a shield to protect them from the onslaught of demons. Mari couldn't help herself, she hugged him, happy that he wasn't hurt. "Well, the League isn't doing half the damage that the Amazons are. If I didn't know better I'd say that they were having fun."

Flash took a breath. "Of course they are. I mean, think about it: they spend all their time training as warriors but they haven't had any real opportunity to test their skills to their fullest. Plus there aren't any men here, they're more primal urges have been repressed."

Despite her exhaustion, Mari allowed herself to laugh. "I swear, Flash, it's all you think about."

"I'm just saying, the Amazons are probably thankful for a way to release the tension. Of course, if I was allowed to stay here over a long weekend-"

Bruce smirked. "They'd still be unsatisfied. Drop the shield, John, we've got to get back to the fight."

* * *

"This is ridiculous, Superman. For all your powers, you are still nothing but a mortal. I could end you where you stand."

Clark spat blood and shook his head. He was bruised and aching from exhaustion and the pain of a thousand blows, but he'd never felt better. He finally had a target to absorb all his anger. "If you had the power to kill me, you would have done it by now. Look at you- Diana could have finished you off on her own, but I'd like to do that myself for what you did to her."

Ares stood in the center of a new crater, one that Clark had driven him into. For all his claims to be the creator of war, he looked very much worse for wear after having faced off first with Diana and now, with Clark. Ares was bloody, his armor was partially shattered and scorched. "Oh, you love your Goddess of Truth? You'd surrender your life for her honor, wouldn't you?"

Clark tensed. "I would, but I don't think you have near enough power to kill me. I'm not one to gloat, Ares, but even I can see that you're too weak to take me on."

Ares smiled. "We shall see, Superman."

* * *

A wave of impact shuddered across the length of the island.

Hades held Diana in his arms, cradling her in such a way to seem almost fatherly. Almost. He could claim no relation to Diana, but after she had helped him to defeat Faust, Hades could admit to a sliver of affection for the girl. That bit of affection was buried under a mountain's worth of contempt, but it still remained. He had agreed to help Diana as a way to make further amends to Hippolyta; the Amazons had come under no harm while in Tartarus, and in this bizarre circumstance, they looked to him as something of an ally.

Had it not been for Ares's wild demand, all would still be right in the world.

Hades shielded Diana from the impact wave and the mass of debris that was thrown with it. The battle of Superman and Ares raged on. Hades lightly shook her. "Diana, Diana, wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open. "What happened?"

"Ares threw a blind strike against you. His cowardice amazes me."

Diana groaned, the memory and her rage was returning. "Where is he?"

"He and your Superman are killing each other."

"What?! Where are they, I have to-"

Hades rolled his eyes at her foolishness. "You have to what? Attack Ares, take up where you left off in your own battle? Please, where is your sense of finesse?"

"What are you talking about, Hades?"

Hades shrugged, a most human gesture. "It's only a matter of time before Ares grows tired of playing with Superman. He'll kill him, Diana. You know he will. Your Superman is perhaps as strong as a god, but he is still a mortal. Why not negotiate with Ares? You know what it is he wants, all you have to do is put it on the table." From nothingness, Hades conjured the vase that imprisoned Aphrodite.

To any eyes but theirs, it appeared as a plain porcelain vase- painted a deep shade of maroon, interrupted only by a strip of pale cream. To the eyes of a god, it was so much more.

Diana's eyes widened. "Is that...?"

"Hephaestus is a genius blacksmith. He can make things of great beauty and of great danger. On the occasions when he combines the two, there is no matching his skill." Hades handed the vase to her. "Take it, Diana. You know what you have to do."

She took the vase, but glared at the Lord of the Underworld. His help had come at a price that Diana still did not know; Hades was not known for his generosity. Even while he acted as her ally, Diana knew that she would never trust him fully. "This isn't over, Hades."

Hades shook his head. "No, I imagine it isn't. Go, Diana, be your mother's daughter."

* * *

Clark felt a searing pain tear through his body, a blinding heat rising within him. The pain exploded through his mind. He could not see, and he could not hear Ares's laughter from above him. The God of War stood nearby, watching as Clark convulsed in the dirt, his blood literally boiling beneath his skin.

"You see, Superman? This is the fate of all who strike at Ares."

"Release him!"

Ares turned around to see Diana flying toward them. She looked somewhat invigorated, but still weary from their battle. While her appearance on the island had caught him off guard, Ares was not afraid of her. "Release him? Why would I do that, princess? Have enough of your sisters died to make you finally see reason?"

Diana landed, and schooled her fury into something like contempt. "Release him, Ares, for I have something you want."

"Oh?"

She brought out the vase of Hephaestus. "Yes. I have Aphrodite imprisoned within. Your lover for the island."

Ares blinked, releasing Clark from the trance of agony. The man rolled onto his back, gasping for air, delirious. Diana longed to go to Clark, to take him away to her chambers on Olympus and spend a century comforting him. But she could not. Not yet. She looked to Ares. A wild gleam came over her eyes, and she threw the vase off to the side.

Ares's eyes widened. "No!" He leaped for the vase and caught it before it shattered upon the rocks. He held the vase close to his chest and lifted the lid. "Oh, Aphrodite, I have so missed you-"

Diana threw herself over Clark, shielding him. There was a flash of lightening, and she could hear Ares's terrible screaming.

Then, there was nothing but the echo of a betrayed god.

She looked to where Ares had stood, but only the vase remained.

Clark turned his head and saw the vase. "It's over?"

Diana shook her head. "Almost."

* * *

"So...what exactly happened?"

Diana felt a weariness that crept down to her bones. She had never battled a god before, and now she finally understood why the earth shook and storms began to rage when the gods fought. She and Clark had returned, limping and filthy, to the capitol city to find that Ares's demons had disappeared. The Amazons and League were tending to their wounded.

Despite everything, Diana smiled at Wally. The shirt of his uniform was shredded and somewhere in the battle he had lost his hood. The sight of his boyish face lifted her heart. "Hades provided me with the weapon to stop Ares. It was a second vase devised by Lord Hephaestus, meant to trap the god who threatened to take over the realm of Tartarus. Ares thought he would release Aphrodite, instead he will share her fate of imprisonment."

"You used his own love against him."

The dark comment was spoken by Bruce, and somehow Diana could not be surprised. Clark glared at him. "No more than he did to her."

"Diana, Diana!"

She turned to see her mother elbowing her way through the gathered crowd. Hippolyta threw her arms around Diana's shoulders, embracing her tightly. "Oh, daughter, thank the gods you are safe."

Diana returned her mother's hug, but the mention of the Olympian gods trembled her stomach. She had defied the direct command of both Hera and Zeus. A punishment would surely be placed on her shoulders for such defiance. She smiled weakly. "Yes, mother. Though I do not think I could have beaten Ares without the help of Hades. Strangely, his treachery won this war. Though I am loathe to admit it, I must thank him."

Hippolyta dropped her eyes. "Hades is gone, Diana. Returned to the Underworld. For now, at least."

For a moment, Diana's eyes glowed, sensing something amiss. "Mother, what did you promise to Hades for his help this day?"

Hippolyta cleared her throat. "He...wishes to sup with me in one week's time."

Diana's eyes widened. "Hades did all this for a date?"

"It's not a...oh, nevermind, child."

"But you and Hades have been enemies for centuries."

Hippolyta could not help her smile. "Perhaps some things are worth waiting for."

Diana shook her head and turned to her friends in the League. They appeared exhausted but none were seriously injured. "My friends, I will take you to our Isle of Healing, Epione can-"

"That will not be necessary, Diana, Goddess of Truth."

The group turned to see the golden figure of Hermes step down from the clouds. He took shape and came forward to stand directly before her. "You are hereby summoned to Mount Olympus."

Diana sighed. She knew who had summoned her and why. After battling with Ares, she knew that she could not take on the entire dais of the Mount. Hermes extended his hand to her, intent to take her to the gods. His heart ached to see Diana injured and battle-weary, but he was the Messenger of the Gods, and he had no choice but to summon her to the King and Queen of Olympus.

"I'm in big trouble, aren't I?"

Hermes nodded. "The biggest. But do not fret, my love, I will not let them come down too hard on you."

Diana nearly placed her hand in his, but thought better of it. "One moment, my lord?"

"For you, Diana, anything."

She moved to Clark, who was sitting on a fallen pillar. His skin was burnt, bruised, but thankfully healing now that the clouds had parted from above the island. The sun's buttery yellow light was a great aid to his recovery. She came to stand before him. Her eyes were tearful. "Clark, the gods want me."

He looked up, taking her hands into his. "You're leaving?"

"I must go. I have much to answer for on Olympus."

Clark understood. Diana had told him that the gods weren't to interfere with mortals, but Diana had waged a full-on war against Ares with the Amazons and the League as her soldiers, allied with the unlikely Hades. He didn't know what kind of punishment she had so willingly brought onto herself, but dread for her knotted his stomach. "What will they do to you?"

Diana shook her head. "I don't know. I love you, Clark."

He put his arms around her, drawing her in and lending her whatever strength he had left. "I love you, Diana. Come back to me."

Tears streamed down Diana's face, but there was nothing she could do. She kissed Clark. A deep, charged kiss, and hoped that it would not be their last.

Diana turned to Hermes and put her hand into his.

Clark shielded his eyes from the bright flash. When he looked again, they were both gone.


	35. Chapter 35

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story! It was a joy to write and this is the first time I've ever ended a fic on my birthday. I'm a little sad it's over, but this just leaves me open to start another story. As always, please read, review, and most of all, enjoy...**

* * *

"I should have forseen this. I did, in a way, though I'd hoped that you would abandon your reckless scheme and behave as becoming of a goddess."

Diana cringed as Hera dressed her down; the thrill of victory over Ares on Themyscira was fast dissipating under the goddess queen's disapproval. Being scolded by Hera was in many ways even worse than when Hippolyta had scolded her as a child. Those centuries past, however, Diana's crimes had been painting on the wall of a temple, rolling boulders down hills and playing pranks on her sisters- the consequence of launching a counterstrike against a god, after being ordered not to interfere, would carry a higher penalty than any Hippolyta had ever cast down upon her.

Hera sat down heavily in her throne and did not fight the small smile that graced her lips. "But then, if you had behaved as directed...well, then you would not be Diana, would you?"

Diana looked up, surprised to see that Hera was, indeed, trying not to laugh. "My queen?"

Hera schooled her features into the mask of calmness. "Though I am not surprised by your actions, Diana, you did disobey the very seat of Olympus. We on the Mount do not interfere with the mortals so directly. Why, not even since the time of the Amazons' conception have we shown our hand in the mortal world. For that very reason, Ares and Hades do not reside here."

Diana bowed her head, and spoke from her heart. "I willingly disobeyed your command, my queen, as you expected I would. You know me too well. I could not abandon my Amazons to Ares without a thought. I offered him my forgiveness and the chance for peace. I was refused and attacked. Ares deserved his defeat."

Hera raised her brows at Diana's forthright response, mildly impressed with her spark. "What humiliations my wayward son does or does not deserve is not for us to debate. It was clever of you to alert Hades to the situation- in this case, the enemy of your enemy was your greatest ally. You could not have won without him. But your cleverness is not my concern."

Diana stood, waiting in all patience for her punishment. She stood in her near-destroyed battle armor, her body still bearing the wounds of battle. There was no great care given to her appearance before the queen; she wore the proof of her efforts against Ares with pride. She was an Amazon warrior, always.

Hera tented her fingers before her face, weighing her options on what should become of her fledgling goddess. "You are the Goddess of Truth, Diana. I ask that you give me the truth now. Were you queen, would you take back the gifts I have bestowed on you as punishment?"

"If you do that, then you will make me a mortal man as well!"

Diana turned to see Hermes storming into the hall, the air around him crackling with energy. "Lord Hermes, please don't-"

"No worries, my love. My words today are for the queen." Hermes said. He took Diana's hand into his own as he turned to Hera. "It was no gift, placing Diana on Olympus. She was never meant to idle away for a millenia in the clouds. Her actions on Themyscira are proof of that."

"Indeed, Hera, we created in Diana the world's fiercest warrior. To have here remain here would be a waste of all our work." Demeter joined in as she entered the hall. She was a gentle goddess, but now as she faced the queen, Demeter appeared as a woman not to be reckoned with. "I did not summon the strength of Gaea to see Diana lounge about the Mount for eternity. Her purpose lies with mankind."

Behind her, Hestia, Athena and Artemis came in, their stances strong and determined. Her makers, the gods who had devined her very life, had come to defend her against their queen. Diana had long depended on their grace, but it was a magnificent thing to see them gathered in her defence and praise.

Diana's heart swelled with love for them, these beings that had given her the world.

"What is this?" Hera demanded.

"It is the truth come alive, my queen!" Athena rang out. "We will not stand by silent as our child, she who carries a piece of us within her very soul, is taken down to mortality. You would strip her of her power and render her less than a goddess, less than an Amazon- you would make a mere _human_ of our Diana?!" Accusation was clear in Athena's tone. "My queen, we will never allow it."

A hush fell over the hall. On earth, the winds died and even the waves of all the oceans calmed, waiting for the queen's reply.

For one moment that had Diana truly frightened, Hera appeared as if she was ready to rise up and strike her daughter Athena, thereby launching another war of the gods. But no such thing happened. The moment passed, and Diana breathed a small blessing that she would not be drawn in to another war. She wasn't sure she had it in her to fight against the entire pantheon.

Hera stood, she and her daughter were caught in a silent face-off. Then, Hera relented. "Well, then. I see my daughter has a special place in her heart for you, Diana. As do so many of my other children and friends. Some more than others." Hera eyed Hermes, who looked away in embarrassment. "Fine. I will release you to your former power, Diana, but you still have one task left to fulfill. What will become of Aphrodite?"

* * *

Diana knew what she must do, for the dais of Mount Olympus was not complete without Aphrodite's presence. But in releasing Aphrodite, Diana would come face to face with the force that set her ordeal into motion. There had been so much pain and fear in these last months. Such heartache caused by the Goddess of Love. Aphrodite, who took Ares as a lover and behaved so much like a demanding child; Aphrodite who left Ares, allowing him to demand Diana as a substitute; Aphrodite who returned to Ares only to curse Diana into crumbling, lifeless clay.

Aphrodite was not Diana's favorite patron, but for her entire life she had held only love and respect for the Goddess of Love. And now?

Diana was not sure.

_It has been too long- release her. This can wait no longer._

She grasped the vase, a beautiful piece molded and painted by Aphrodite's own husband, Hephaestus. He had been too eager to craft the vase which would keep his wayward wife and her lover apart.

Diana traced the etchings on the vase with her fingertips, and sighed lightly. Such a shame that something so beautiful would be destroyed...

She threw the vase onto the floor of the great hall and watched as it shattered across the floor. White mist began to rise from the shards of the vase, forming the shape of a woman. The mist grew thicker as it came together, revealing the form of Aphrodite.

She stepped forward, a goddess so beautiful that the flowers bloomed on earth now that she was free. Her sea-glass eyes moved to focus on Diana, widening in recognition.

Before Aphrodite could speak, Diana stepped forward to her. Their eyes met, and Aphrodite visibly cringed- truly, she was a lover, not a fighter.

"I have only one question for you, Aphrodite. Why?"

Aphrodite glared at her, recovering a sliver of bravado. "I don't answer to fledglings!"

"You will answer to me. I went through hell for you, and you ignored my prayers. I fought Ares, and trapped him in another of your husband's vases. If you ever wish to see your lover again, I will have my answer." Deep down, Diana was impressed with herself. Never in a thousand years did she think that she would be here, on Mount Olympus, making demands of her own gods!

At Diana's cold tone, Aphrodite relented. She was deeply ashamed of what she had done, and if she had the power to take it all back, she would do so in an instant. But even the gods must answer for their actions. "I was angry. Ares replaced me so easily, and with a woman he despised, no less! I was furious with him for his desire toward you, and even more furious that you could ignite him so easily with your defiance."

"That answer does not satisfy me, Aphrodite."

Aphrodite sighed. "It will have to. I am the Goddess of Love, but there are times when I am cursed with jealousy, insecurity, and bitterness toward other women." Aphrodite took Diana's hands in her own and kneeled before her, a position of supplication. "I beg your forgiveness, Diana. We all gave a part of ourselves to you on your creation- I gave only the best things, keeping the worst for myself."

Diana looked down on Aphrodite, this being of love and beauty who had inflicted such pain upon her. She could not bring herself to attack Aphrodite, which she had the right to do. She could not kill the goddess. There was too little love in the world- Aphrodite's death would only hasten the advance of discord.

Diana thought for several long moments; thankfully, the wisdom of Athena did not fail her.

"Do you know why I am here, Aphrodite?"

"No, I do not."

"Our queen Hera bestowed your fate upon me. I know what will become of you."

Aphrodite nodded heavily. "You mean to kill me, then. I accept your decision. Please, know that I truly am sorry for what I did to you. I had no right, so caught up was I in my affair with Ares that I-"

"Aphrodite, please." Diana put her hands on Aphrodite's narrow shoulders. "I will not kill you. The world has too great a need for the love and beauty you provide. No, the punishment I give is no punishment at all. I would have you dedicate yourself to being a wife to Hephaestus."

Aphrodite's eyes widened. "What?"

"For too long you have philandered with Ares and your human lovers. Hephaestus deserves better than that. You, Aphrodite, you have the capacity to give so much love, and yet you have been most selfish with it. Reserving it for Ares and a score of mortals. Hephaestus is perhaps the only god who would love you for more than your great beauty. All I ask is that you try to love him in return."

"How can I? He is grotesque!" Aphrodite scowled.

Diana shook her head. "Perhaps to your eyes he is. But have you no appreciation for the beauty he creates? Lord Hephaestus has the soul of an artist, and you would reject him for the appearance of his body. Then I will pity you, Aphrodite, for your cowardice and your blindness."

"You would pity me for-"

"I do not wish to hear your protest, Goddess of Love. This is the task I give to you. Be a wife to your husband. Share with him the love that you have given so freely to Ares and so many others." There was a finality to Diana's words that Aphrodite had no choice but to respect.

This was the task given to her after her deplorable actions. She would abide by it.

"I will do so, Diana."

Diana smiled and stepped forward to embrace Aphrodite. "I thank you, Aphrodite. In time, I know that you will come to love Lord Hephaestus." Diana's arms tightened around Aphrodite's frame, squeezing harder, tighter.

"Diana, release me-"

"I have only one more piece to say." Diana said, her voice low and cold in Aphrodite's ear. "If any Amazon or mortal is ever again put into danger thanks to your childish tantrums, then make no mistake: be I goddess or mortal, no charm will protect you from me."

Abruptly, Diana released Aphrodite and left the grand halls of Olympus for the final time. As Hermes took her hand, intent to return her to the mortal plane, Diana knew that she would not miss it.

* * *

The farm was not as she remembered it. Much time had passed since she had last walked across the fields of Kansas, the Kent farm. The air was somewhat cooler than it had been before, and as she neared the farmhouse she could see that the back door was new. The house had also been treated to a fresh coat of paint.

Hermes had brought her to the golden fields of grain just over the low hill near the Kent farm. Diana had been returned to her former stature as an Amazon blessed with the gifts of the gods. The one true Wonder Woman had returned to the world. She had achieved a full circle of life. It had been a remarkable thing, to experience life as a blessed being, a mortal, to die and then be resurrected as a goddess and then back again.

The Lord of Thieves and the Messenger of Olympus had departed with his blessings of love, leaving her free to walk back toward the barn and the farmhouse. She would miss Hermes, but he was never far from her. Diana took her time, wishing to absorb the world once more as she had been reborn an Amazon. Her body longed to lift into the air and fly to Clark, but Diana chose instead to walk; silent prayers issued from her mind, thanking her makers for giving her a second chance at life.

"Diana!"

She looked up to see Clark gliding toward her. He landed and took her into his arms in an embrace that would have been crushing for a mortal woman but was perfect for her. Their strength was equal, Clark could sense it as he held her. "What happened to you?"

Diana smiled. This was the point of living, she was sure of it now. To be held and to hold the man she loved. To fight by his side against evil, to enjoy the passion and humor and competition that existed between them. "I was called to Olympus and found that Hera was considering casting me out, making a mortal woman of me. My makers would not allow it, but conceded that I should return to my former life."

Clark dipped his head and kissed her, his heart racing with joy. Diana was back from Olympus, she would stay! There were so many things he wanted to do with her, so many things he'd thought he'd lost the chance to do!

He speared his fingers through her hair and kissed her again. For a moment they held each other in silence, enjoying the peace. This is what they had wanted, this moment, this...

"I'm so happy that you're back. It's been-" Clark cut himself off and touched his ear. "What is it?"

He paused, listening. His eyes became focused, serious, then looked to Diana with a challenging gleam in his eye. "A landslide and wild fires in California. Are you game?"

Diana smiled. "Always. Would you give me a moment to change?"

Clark frowned in confusion.

Diana took a few steps back and began to spin in place, slow at first, but then faster and faster still. Miraculously, her white tunic and cape seemed to shift, to dissolve away, revealing her uniform and armor, her silver bracelets, her tiara and lasso, it had all been returned to her. Diana looked at her hands and made tight fists, relishing the return of her strength. She ran her fingertips over the untarnished surface of her bracelets. She held her lasso. Yes, she was Wonder Woman once more.

Diana held the lasso. "I've missed you. And you two, as well." She said this last to her bracelets, marveling for a moment as they glinted in the sun.

Clark raised an eyebrow. "Should I give you and your uniform a little time alone?"

Diana laughed then, deep and full laughter that mirrored her love for life. She playfully shoved at Clark's chest. "That won't be necessary, though I think I'll be wanting some time alone with you soon."

Clark leaned forward and kissed her. He felt that he couldn't kiss her enough. "Of course. After we save the day again."

Clark lifted into the air, heading west where the people were crying out for help.

Diana followed after him, embracing her life. Her destiny. Her calling.

She is princess Diana of Themyscira, Wonder Woman, a champion reborn and a woman in love.


End file.
